YMCA Lebanon

Beirut's inner city youth enjoying YMCA activities.

The first YMCA in Lebanon began in the late 1800s as a student and youth organization. It survived tumultuous times, including French rule during the 1930s. When the Republic of Lebanon emerged in 1946, six YMCA centers were established, including ones in Beirut, Tripoli and Tyre.

Particularly successful was Camp Faris, located in the mountains right outside of Beirut. It began with 96 youth but grew to more than 1,000 young people from 25 countries. Counselors and administrators for the camp were Lebanese young adults trained by the YMCA.

The underground YMCA Rouche Center built in Beirut in 1970 offered the first heated, indoor pool, along with recreational training and programs to improve public health. Among the participants were 500 inner-city youth from one of Beirut's most densely populated areas. An inner-city day care project was also established.

When the civil war in Lebanon began in 1975, the familiar YMCA sign in Beirut stood like a beacon above the facility that had been built underground five years earlier.  YMCA World Service was also there to serve the youth of Lebanon.

YMCA World Service always focuses on the needs of people as shaped by local circumstances and culture. Remaining neutral during the civil war, the Lebanese YMCA provided emergency services, distributed relief supplies, assisted in evacuating civilians from dangerous areas and served in hospitals aiding the wounded.

The people of Lebanon have an enduring spirit. With the help of YMCA World Service, the Lebanese YMCA has also been able to endure and maintain its commitment to adapt and serve the changing needs of the Lebanese people.