« What  you do for one child 
you do it for me ».
The dream… The reality… The continuity

1. PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS:
Work programs with children (5 to 12 years old) and teenagers (13 to 16 years old) aim at providing beneficiaries with a secure environment for fulfillment, where their rights are both respected and defended.

Through a variety of activities:
         
Regular gatherings:
Recreational and educational day camps on Saturdays. Based upon the principle of informal education, these camps use games, rhythmic activities (singing, singing circles…), hand works for this purpose. Through each activity, a message is transmitted to the children about the daily life, the relationships with others, the sense of responsibility, the respect of nature, the principles of citizenship…
         
Excursions:
Excursions are activities that children wait for eagerly. They give them the opportunity to get out of daily routine. They go visit a touristic site, a playing center or discover a new region… with the volunteer members who handle their program. Our activities are marked with two major excursions each year: Christmas day out and Easter day out.
         
Summer camps:
Children leave their daily world to become part of a new « family », a new « home », for a period of 10 days approximately. Both the supervising team and the children pave their way together towards a participative approach.
By form and content, the summer camp turns out to be one of the strongest moments to transmit to children messages about children’s rights and behavior.
Additionally, many subjects leading to reach the goals of the program are discussed: ecology, citizenship, health, physical education, general knowledge.

All this comes within the framework of informal education through a wide range of activities: scientific and technical activities, olympic games, kermesses, excursions, spiritual evenings, outdoor games, puppet shows …

1.2 TEENAGERS 

In addition to the objectives of children’s programs, teenagers’ programs focus more on education for citizenship and involvement in public causes through civil society.
Moreover, one of the most important objectives of the program consists of helping teenagers to live this period of their life in harmony with the body and the soul, by accompanying them during this critical phase of physical and psychological modifications.
In this sense, the approach encourages teenagers to acquire and use life skills, notably: decision-making, assertiveness (saying no), self-esteem, communication, critical and creative spirit, etc.

Most often, teenagers who take part in this program are those who have already completed « children’s » program within the group, which ensures an easier achievement of the objectives.
Among the activities they practice: gatherings, excursions and camps.
With such programs, teenagers considerably participate in the preparation and the practice of activities. This approach develops their sense of responsibility towards themselves and others.

2. YOUNGSTERS’ PROGRAM
  
This program is addressed to youngsters who are more than 17 years old by becoming volunteer members within the movement.
This provides them with the place that is necessary to:

In this place for freedom of expression, creativity, exchange of opinions and experiences, youngsters are guaranteed their right to participation.
Volunteers benefit from the supervisory staff and attend trainings at different levels in order to advance and handle more duties and responsibilities. It is to be noted that the movement board, which is elected each two years, is in majority composed of youngsters who are less than 30 years old.

Within the group, youngsters participate actively in the process of decision-making through elections, committees for the preparation of activities, etc.
Ways for such an achievement are many:

    2.1 Volontary participation in the program of children and teenagers
Volunteer members are in charge of all children’s and teenagers’ activities mentioned above. Their duty includes the planning, the organization, the practice and the evaluation of those activities. Experience sharing and follow-up are provided to the new recruits by the supervisory staff consisting of old members.

    2.2 Exchanges
Within the framework of openness to intercultural dialogue, the group gives members the opportunity to participate to exchange programs provided by Euromed. Through these exchanges, young volunteers get the chance to share their experience and knowledge with youngsters from other countries.
Such exchanges aim at gathering youngsters coming from both sides of the Mediterranean to elaborate intercultural projects.
Apart from international, there are also national exchanges with other Lebanese movements and associations. One example is the Lebanese Commission of Young Lasallian (LCYL), part of which is our movement.

   2.3 Gatherings for group dynamics
Gatherings for group dynamics are sometimes recreational (picnic, lunches, evenings…), and other times spiritual (Holy Thursday evening, pilgrimage…).
By reanimating the group life, these activities enable members to meet outside the voluntary work with children.
Whether it is at the beach, in the mountain or during a pilgrimage day, the friendly atmosphere seems to be contagious and everybody feels at home.
One of the occasions that is waited for each year is the evening of Holy Thursday: gathering for prayers, spiritual animation … Staying up with the Christ on the eve of the Passion.

2.4 Missions
In collaboration with the community of Lasallian brothers in the Middle East, volunteers from the group accomplish missions in Sudan. Give a lot and obtain a lot, this is the result of sharing the life of the most destitute people.
This unique experience enables youngsters to live their voluntary participation with a different perspective.
Moreover, youngsters pray in different ways: sometimes it is a rhythmic prayer, other times it is a prayer dancing, and in both cases, it is godly and sincere.
Devotion is the sole motivation that pushes them forward, be it in a training mission or in  direct work with children.
The mission is a deep spiritual moment that takes youngsters away from simple activism, it encourages them to discover a new meaning for life, for the relationship with others and with Jesus. 

    2.5 Website
A website for youngsters has been created by the movement.
It highlights the rights of youngsters and focuses on participation and life skills.
On one hand, articles about subjects that are interesting for youngsters are published; and on the other, youngsters themselves may publish articles of their choice. 
This site enables also youngsters to exchange their opinions about real life issues through the forum.
Needless to say that the website includes also a part dedicated to JSF which enables visitors to get to know the movement and be updated about all its activities.

3. TRAINING PROGRAM:
This program is divided into three main parts:

The permanent training for the members of the group enables the acquisition and renewal of theoretical and practical skills related to their work with children and teenagers.

These trainings as well as those open to the members of other associations tackle subjects that are related to the objectives of the program, notably: citizenship, participation, management, training of trainers, life skills, transparency and governance …
Trainings conducted upon the request of other associations are organized to satisfy the needs expressed.