Michelle Makhoul, 22, a resident of Detroit, Michigan, and project coordinator of the Al Saeh Book Drive told Beirut.com, “I felt like the fire that was lit in that library was lit in my heart, and I had to help.”
“Every time we wake up in America, turn on the TV and are hit with news of yet another bombing in Lebanon, another assassination, another person dead, our hearts break, and even worse… We [usually] can’t do anything to help!”
But this time, it’s different. What started out as an initiative for Lebanese expats in the US has made its way back to this country, with two local drop-off points now available for anyone who wants to donate new or slightly used books in French, English and Arabic to the library.
Makhoul says she’s already overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm for the effort she’s witnessing abroad. “You can take any person out of Lebanon, but his heart will forever remain in Lebanese soil,” she says.
