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The people behind Lights for Lebanon

Four students lead the fundraiser. Four more people have contributed along the way.

Adetayo Agueh

Assistant Founder, Vice President, and Executive Director

“I'm not Lebanese, but I have grown up around Lebanese people my whole life, and I have seen how much their country means to them. So when Lebanon went through a crisis, it did not feel like someone else's problem. It felt like my duty to help the people I care about and the families they come from. Showing up matters most when things are hard, and this was one of those times. That is why I joined Lights for Lebanon, and why I keep working to get help to families who need it.”

Nathaniel Woods

Co-president and Co-founder

“I'm Lebanese, and I lived through the Beirut port explosion. I was one of the fortunate ones who came out without serious harm, but I know many people did not, and I have never forgotten that. Helping the people of my country felt like my duty, even when a crisis does not touch my own life directly. If I was spared the worst once, the least I can do is use that to help families who are living through it now. That is what Lights for Lebanon means to me.”

Ridha Mneimneh

Co-president, Co-founder, and Head of Legal

“When a building next to my apartment was hit by a strike, it changed me for good. Until then, the war felt like something happening to other people, somewhere else. After that day I understood the problem was much closer to me than I had thought, and I could not go back to watching from a distance. I wanted to do something real for the families who lost their homes. As head of legal, I help keep Lights for Lebanon on solid ground so that our work can last.”

Karim Azour

Co-president, Co-founder, and Head of Outreach

“I live in Washington, DC, but Lebanon is part of who I am, and I go back every summer. For a long time I could not make sense of what was happening there, and the more I saw, the more personal it became. These are my people and my country, and I felt I needed to take action instead of waiting for someone else to. Leading outreach for Lights for Lebanon lets me bring more people into this and turn that frustration into help.”

Contributors

A few words from each of them on why they joined.

Emma Gemayel
I'm Lebanese, and Lebanon is part of who I am. When families there lose their homes, it feels personal to me. I cannot fix that on my own, but I can help Lights for Lebanon get food, soap, and supplies to people who need them.
Zakaria Lebbaz
I'm Algerian, but Lebanon has always felt close to me. We share a language, a lot of history, and a habit of looking out for each other, so what is happening to families in Lebanon does not feel far away. I joined Lights for Lebanon to help people who have been pushed out of their homes get what they need.
Jordan Kanski
I joined Lights for Lebanon because I kept thinking about families who have lost their homes and still have to get through every day. They should not have to wait for strangers to care. If a few hours of my time can put food and soap in someone's hands, it is an easy yes.
Pauline Robberechts
You do not need a personal connection to Lebanon to see that families there need help. When I learned how many people had been forced to leave their homes, I wanted to do something concrete instead of scrolling past. Lights for Lebanon gave me a way to do that, one small task at a time.