On Thursday, May 19, the Yale Lebanese Alumni Association (YLBAA) joined forces with leading Lebanese NGO Bassma to help feed the hungry in Beirut’s most impoverished areas.
Yale alumni based in Lebanon helped Bassma reach out to needy families by distributing food boxes, cooked meals, milk, clothes, and toys, and lending a helping hand in honor of the Yale Day of Service. Yale University, located in New Haven, CT, is one of the world’s leading universities with a mission of public service.
Bassma’s work focuses on helping Lebanese families become self-sufficient in light of the current economic crisis. In addition to fighting food insecurity, the leading Lebanese NGO focuses on long-term solutions by providing educational and employment opportunities to allow families to stand on their own two feet. As Sandra Klat, Bassma founder and president put it, “We are very happy to be able to share the joy of giving back to the community with genuine people who support and appreciate humanitarian work, like Yale university alumni in Lebanon.”
The Yale Lebanese Alumni Association is a shared interest group bringing together Yale alumni based in Lebanon and abroad with a professional interest in Lebanon. The service-driven association focuses on leadership and public service activities that allow Yale alumni leaders to have a positive impact in local communities. “Our association aims to go beyond the traditional scope of social events, and seeks to achieve positive social impact, since we are a mission-driven organization,” May Akl, Yale World Fellow 2010 and Board member, said. “We believe in taking Yale’s world class education to make a difference, and to empower Yale alumni to assume positions in leadership.”