Women for Women International supports Kafa, a local women-led organization in Lebanon, to provide shelter and psychosocial support to women affected by violence, sexual exploitation and the humanitarian crisis caused by the recent war.
“I have lived through two wars in Lebanon. As a mother, all I think about is protecting my children. If I had to live in a garbage dump to keep them safe, I would do it. My only goal in life is to rescue and protect them.”
Originally from Ethiopia, Nora came to Lebanon to work as a migrant domestic worker 9 years ago. Like many migrant women in the country, she found herself living without meaningful legal protection or a reliable support system. When war reached her neighborhood, the struggles she had already faced became even worse.
One night, after putting her children to sleep in their home in Dahieh -the southern suburbs of Beirut-, an area heavily targeted by Israeli airstrikes, an explosion struck close to their building.
“I woke up to the sound of explosions and the building was shaking around us. I could not get up from the floor because I was in shock. My husband carried our children while I dragged myself towards the door. Outside, there was chaos. People were running in every direction, smoke filled the air, explosions continued, and my children were crying in fear.”
Her son injured his leg as the family escaped. They fled barefoot, carrying nothing, and walked towards a safer area in Beirut.
When government buses arrived to evacuate people, the family asked to board but were told that the buses could not take them because they were migrants, not Lebanese.
With nowhere else to go, she contacted a shelter run by a local organisation, which helped the family find safety. When they were eventually able to return to their neighborhood, they discovered that their home had been completely destroyed.
“Everything we owned was gone. We lost our house, our belongings, and everything we had worked to build.”
She is still living in a temporary shelter with her family, with no source of support other than limited humanitarian aid. But she is attending the sessions provided by Kafa through a grant from Women for Women International, where the main priority is to provide a safe space for healing and psychosocial support through art and creativity.
Her experience reflects the reality facing many women in Lebanon who have carried the responsibility of protecting their families, coping with displacement and trying to rebuild their lives amid conflict and economic uncertainty. For women already experiencing marginalisation, including migrant domestic workers, refugees, survivors of sexual exploitation and women with limited financial or social support the consequences are particularly severe.
Discrimination and the absence of adequate protection can make it even harder for migrant women to find safe accommodation, replace lost income or access essential assistance. Women who have experienced sexual exploitation may also be living with profound trauma while facing homelessness and an urgent need for protection.
Supporting Women through Kafa
With support from Women for Women International, Kafa is reaching some of the most vulnerable women affected by Lebanon’s overlapping crises, including migrant women who have experienced sexual exploitation, violence, displacement and homelessness.
The project provides individual and group psychosocial support, helping women process traumatic experiences in safe and supportive settings. It also supports a women’s shelter for those who have nowhere safe to live, providing stability and protection at a time when many have lost their homes, livelihoods, and support networks.
Creative activities, including art therapy, form an important part of this support.
For women whose lives are dominated by uncertainty and survival, opportunities to pause, reflect and express themselves can be rare.
During one visual arts session, participants were invited to communicate their thoughts, emotions and memories by painting on canvas. A social worker encouraged them to focus on expressing themselves freely rather than on artistic techniques.
Each woman approached the activity differently. Some painted their homes or hometowns in their countries of origin, sharing memories of places that remained deeply meaningful to them. Others created abstract or decorative paintings inspired by their emotions, imaginations, and favorite colours.
With soft music playing in the background, the women were able to work at their own pace. The session became more than an art activity: it offered a moment of calm, emotional release and connection.
At the end, participants proudly shared their paintings with one another.
Their artwork showed how creative expression can help rebuild confidence, support emotional well being and renew a sense of identity beyond violence, exploitation and displacement.
Through its partnership with Kafa, Women for Women International is helping create spaces where women can feel safe, receive specialised support and begin recovering from trauma. At a time when Lebanon’s polycrisis continues to deepen existing inequalities, this work is also a reminder that assistance and recovery efforts must reach all women regardless of their nationality, migration status or circumstances.
For women who have lost almost everything, having a safe place to stay, someone to listen and an opportunity to express themselves is an important first step toward rebuilding their lives.