With the intensification of daily challenges, the Diakonia and Social Service Department, Lebanon’s Office, at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), organized a program titled "Emotional Support for Youth Girls" with two groups of adolescent girls aged 12-14 years and 15-17 years. The program aimed to empower them, enhance their mental health, and help them overcome the difficulties they may face.

This program, which extended over many weeks, comes at a time when both parents are obliged to work to sustain their households, and many children and adolescents are left alone without the proper guidance and the necessary counseling of their loved ones. As such, they are left to deal with the different hurdles in school or society in general without getting the proper chance to talk about what they go through.

Thus, the program’ sessions created a safe and creative space where girls could express their emotions, strengthen their self-confidence, and build supportive connections with their peers. Through painting, role-playing, storytelling, and teamwork exercises, participants explored topics such as emotional awareness, stress management, non-violent communication, and self-esteem. Many participants shared that it was the first time they felt truly heard, understood, and respected in a group setting.

As for the two groups that participated in the program, the first one was formed based on individual interviews, while most participants in the second group had previously attended the drama therapy sessions held in January 2025, and expressed interest in continuing with emotional support.

It is worth noting that this program was implemented with the support of the international humanitarian organization Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), at Our Lady Dispensary, affiliated with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in the Sabtieh region - Mount Lebanon.