Zeina Khairallah (E09): “We are helping vulnerable children in Lebanon”

Almost one year ago, Krystel El Adm (E08) died in the double explosion in the port of Beirut. Today, Zeina Khairallah (E09) has teamed up with Nelly Harik (E11) and Karel Al Adm (E08) to launch the Krystel El Adm Foundation, with a view to giving vulnerable children the chance to fulfil their potential and build a better future. Here’s how.

ESSEC Alumni: Can you remind our readers who Krystel El-Adm was – as well as the circumstances around her death? 

Zeina Khairallah: Krystel El Adm was a young woman full of life, with a brilliant career. In parallel to her career in finance with major international banks, she volunteered to help her compatriots in Lebanon, helping poor families pay their children’s school fees, and helping older ones find a job. On Tuesday 4 August 2020, she travelled to Beirut to donate a laptop to a child in need, and to encourage them to continue their education. She died in the double explosion that rocked the city that day, killing 200 people and injuring more than 7,000, destroying more than 350,000 homes. 

EA: The disaster triggered a huge wave of solidarity from the ESSEC community...

Z. Khairallah: In order to honour the memory of Krystel, and of Alexandra (aged 3), daughter of Paul Naggear (E10), the Lebanon Chapter and its president Marina Balgachian (AGRI 02), launched an international call for aid to help support two non-profit charity projects: one dear to Krystel, facilitating access to education for underprivileged children; and one dear to Paul, helping rebuild the buildings ravaged by the explosion in working class areas. The combined support from ESSEC Alumni and its president, Olivier Cantet (E87), as well as ESSEC and its dean and president, Vincenzo Esposito Vinzi, and the momentum of the entire ESSEC community in general helped us to raise over €22k.

EA: Today, almost one year on from the explosions, what is the situation in Lebanon, and Beirut in particular? 

Z. Khairallah: The country has had financial, economic, and public health problems since October 2019. The explosion on 4 August 2020 only worsened the situation, causing the executive branch of government to collapse, and revealing its inability to form a functional government. This caused a large percentage of the population to fall into poverty, people who are now dependent on NGOs, local volunteers, and international aid. Workers who are paid in Lebanese pounds have seen their buying power crumble with the spiralling devaluation of the currency. The World Bank recently confirmed, and I quote, that the current economic situation in Lebanon is one of the ten most severe crises, and probably one of the world’s worst crises since the middle of the 19th century.

EA: What are the consequences of this situation for vulnerable children in Lebanon?  

Z. Khairallah: The UN says that the Lebanese crisis is becoming a disaster for education, with vulnerable children facing the very real risk of never going back to school or even accessing education, with so many families unable to afford school equipment or that have to depend on their children to earn a wage. According to a Save the Children report from February 2020, more than 1.2 million children have dropped out of school since the start of the pandemic.

EA: In the face of this situation, you formed the Krystel El-Adm Foundation. What missions and objectives have you set yourself? 

Z. Khairallah: We firmly believe that every child has the right to an education and the opportunity to harness their full potential. As Nelson Mandela said so well: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. I would add to that that education is the best way to fight for a better future. With that in mind, our work is structured around three themes. Firstly, we work to improve access to education for children in need, and support them in their studies. Secondly, we offer enrichment programmes to the children so that they can develop their social skills and learn to manage their emotions. Thirdly, we provide aid for poor families, helping to subsidise their most essential needs.

EA: What projects have you delivered since you launched? 

Z. Khairallah: Thanks to our initial fundraising rounds, we have been able to respond to distress calls from 40 families who could no longer afford to pay their children’s school fees every month. That means 68 children who were facing expulsion due to unpaid fees.

EA: How can our alumni support your initiative? 

Z. Khairallah: Every contribution counts, however it is made. You can make a donation online – or by bank transfer, cheque, or money transfer (more details on our website). And you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and share our content to spread word about our work!

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), ESSEC Alumni Content Manager

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