We are currently active on four continents and in 14 countries. Our goal: to help as quickly and efficiently as possible. How does this work? Because of our local partners in the project countries! They speak the local languages, are well connected in their local networks, have important contacts and, above all, they are always on site. To get to know our so-called “Supporters on Site” better, we introduce them to you in our new interview series.
One extraordinarily special Supporter is Jad Massaad. He is the first one in our series. Jad has been our STELP man in Lebanon for three years.
STELP: Introduce yourself briefly. Who are you and in which country are you working with STELP?
Jad Massaad: My name is Jad Massaad and since three years, I am a Supporter on Site for Stelp, in Beirut Lebanon, where I live and work.
STELP: What do you do full-time?
Jad: I do different things: on one hand, I work in planning and organization in the medical sector. Unfortunately, the severe economic crisis of recent years has also affected the medical sector, which is why I also work as a manager and in the marketing industry.
STELP: How did you come to work with STELP and how long have you been a “Supporter on Site”? Why do you volunteer?
Jad: I had been volunteering for the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation for quite some time, where I am still responsible for organisation and fundraising every October.
When I met Serkan, I started working for STELP – that was 3 years ago. Serkan happened to be here in Beirut when the explosion at the port took place, so Beirut marks a very deep attachment for him. It surprised me to see that a foreign person from a foreign country is doing more for the citizens from Lebanon, than our own politicians – and that my country is in need of such help that affects our basic needs. Serkan’s passion for standing up for those in need is what led me to join the team and provide the support my country needed so desperately after the Beirut port explosion.
STELP: Which project is most important to you personally and why?
Jad: Medical projects are the most important, but also the most complicated because of the lack of medical supplies in Lebanon. People have to choose between food and medicine, which is not an easy decision for anyone. That’s why building our Mjaydel STELP Medical Center is also something I care about a lot.
STELP: Do you have a motto in life?
Jad: Giving back to your society is a duty.
Thank you for the interview and for your tireless efforts on behalf of the people of Lebanon!
These are the projects STELP supports in Lebanon: distribution of food packages to the Lebanese population and Syrian refugees, installation of solar lamps, construction of the Mjaydel Stelp Medical Center.
