This testimonial was sent directly to L’Œuvre d’Orient. A student earned his bachelor’s degree in the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. He is currently completing his master’s degree in the same department. He wrote this letter spontaneously after participating in an event organized by the French Embassy in Beirut and L’Œuvre d’Orient in September 2025. We were deeply moved by its content and wanted to share with you the joy we felt upon reading it.
We are also sharing HERE a video of Father Hugues de Woillemont, executive director of L’Œuvre d’Orient, visiting Saint Joseph University in Beirut in September 2025.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends and comrades,
First, allow me to express my deep gratitude for this opportunity to speak on behalf of the youth of Lebanon. It is a true honor to be here today, alongside the French Embassy and L’Œuvre d’Orient, two institutions that, through their constant support, demonstrate sincere solidarity with our country and our students.
Being young in Lebanon today means living a life of both hardship and hope. We face economic difficulties, wars, uncertainty about our future, and the daily struggle to continue our education and preserve our dignity.
We are facing a massive exodus of our youth, who are forced to leave their homeland to seek elsewhere a future they can no longer find here. But there are also many of us who refuse to leave. We believe that Lebanon deserves to be rebuilt by the very hands of its own children. We believe that it is possible—indeed, imperative—to rebuild our country and restore its dignity and strength through the education, hard work, and commitment of our entire generation.
Education is not just a personal journey; it is also a responsibility—to serve, to rebuild, and to refuse to give up. Our ambitions go beyond individual success; we want to build bridges between Lebanon and the world, and turn our challenges into opportunities for renewal.
The support of partners such as L’Œuvre d’Orient and the French people reminds us that we are not alone on this journey. It gives us the strength and the means to continue our studies, but also to dream of a future in which Lebanese youth can flourish fully in their homeland.
We hope that through dialogue, cooperation, and education, we can preserve Lebanon as a place to live where diversity, culture, and resilience are celebrated—and where young people like us find not only opportunities but also hope.
Thank you.
