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Telethon 2015

Stouh Beirut Telethon 2015 Raised Over 50 Billion LBP to Support Urgent Humanitarian Cases

Beirut – Absolute humanity, full solidarity, and a spirit of unity brought together the guests of Stouh Beirut in a special episode hosted by Dalia Dagher on the evening of December 23, 2015, on OTV, under the slogan “For All of Us to Celebrate.” The telethon aimed to raise donations to help six extremely critical cases.

The episode opened with artist Ghassan Saliba performing a hymn to the Virgin Mary and a segment of his song “Watani Bya’rafni” (“My Country Knows Me”). Dagher then delivered an opening speech about the purpose of the episode and the importance of helping others, congratulated Lebanese citizens and the world on the upcoming holidays, and praised Lebanon’s religious diversity, which reflected the diversity of her guests.

Reports on the six humanitarian cases were presented, divided among six teams:

  • Team 1: Artist Ghassan Saliba, media personality Vera Yamin, and Mr. Nicola Mousalli took on the case of the Barakat family, consisting of a blind father, three young adults, and a mother who was the sole provider, all in urgent need of comprehensive support.
  • Team 2: Ambassador Mira Daher, President of Banin 313 Mohammad Baydoun, and media personality Reema Rahmeh supported 8 year old Zainab, who urgently needed a bone transplant, with treatment costs totaling €13,000.
  • Team 3: MP Ziad Aswad, artist Alin Lahoud, and actress Patricia Dagher helped Christian Klass, a disabled individual with no provider, who needed housing and medical care.
  • Team 4: MP Fadi Karam, media personality Ghada Eid, and actress Darine Hamze supported Shadi Al-Maktoum, a child who had witnessed a traumatic assault and required psychological, medical, and educational care, along with a foster family while legal papers were arranged.
  • Team 5: Minister Jean Oghassabian, poet Nizar Francis, and Ms. Enas Abu Ayash supported Cybelle Na’ma, who was born with a congenital deformity into a family living in extreme poverty and urgently needed surgery.
  • Team 6: Dr. Salim Al-Sayegh, artist Tania Qassis, and Father Magdy Allawi (who appeared live from Belle Vue Hospital after surviving a serious accident) assisted elderly Rafqa, who was living in an abandoned home without doors, windows, or bathroom facilities.

Maestro Ihsan Al-Munzer contributed to the episode, performing alongside poet Nizar Francis a heartfelt song for Nader, a young boy who dreamed of singing for his mother.

The donation campaign progressed with active participation from the Lebanese diaspora and a touching initiative by children from Lebanon and abroad who called in to contribute. The episode also featured reports on inspiring stories, including:

  • Mohammad, a young man from the Saa’ada Al-Sama Association, who cared for 85-year-old George with love and compassion, emphasizing that humanity knew no boundaries of religion, race, or gender.
  • Albert, a 24-year-old living with HIV since birth, who had been abandoned after his adoptive father passed away. He later lived peacefully with Father Magdy, who welcomed him without judgment, allowing him to dream of visiting his mother’s family in Congo before returning to Saa’ada Al-Sama.

Over four hours, Dalia Dagher and her guests, through public participation and interaction, raised 50,490,000,000 LBP, covering the needs of all six cases and additional families who requested help during the broadcast.

The Beirut Rooftops Telethon 2015 reflected the Lebanon people dreamed of, showing the potential for this initiative to become an annual national telethon. Special thanks were extended to Dalia Dagher, her production team, and all OTV staff.

Through their efforts, viewers truly experienced the meaning of a real holiday season, promising to continue the spirit of giving in the years to come.