Shropshire's Maya honours Beirut with song after devastating explosion
A teenager has penned an emotional song about the plight of her family’s homeland, Lebanon.
Maya Falah was horrified by the explosion that devastated the port area of Beirut last month.
At least 190 people died, 6,500 were injured and 300,000 were left homeless when thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in the port exploded.
The city and the country were already in the midst of an economic crisis when the tragedy occurred on August 4.
Maya, 16, who lives in Bettisfield near Wem, knows the country well.
Her grandparents, auntie and cousins live in Lebanon and her grandparents’ home was even damaged by the explosion, films of which were seen by shocked viewers all around the world.
“Thankfully they travelled to Dubai to be with my father when the pandemic began and so they are safe,” she said.
“My other relatives live out in the country. Although not affected by the blast they are caught up in the awful economic mess in Lebanon.
“Everyone is suffering hardship from the dreadful inflation.”
A pupil at Moreton Hall School near Oswestry, just starting sixth form, Maya is a talented singer/songwriter and felt compelled to put her feeling into a piece of music.
“I am very proud of my heritage.
“I know Lebanon and Beirut well and we usually travel there each year. It was awful seeing the television footage of the explosion and recognising the places ripped apart by the blast.
“It is really harrowing to see images of places you have been to with your family, places they grew up in, and dreadful to think what might have happened if my grandparents had been in Beirut when their home was hit.
“It is a beautiful place with such rich culture.”
Her music has been shared many times on Facebook and she has now lent it to a justgiving fundraising page.
The fundraiser campaign, supported by Innovest and CasaBayt, has seen more than £1,000 donated to help Lebanese victims.
Maya wrote: “Beirut can’t survive this alone. Beirut urgently needs all the help it can get.
“Our call for help is for the Lebanese diaspora across the world, as well as to the generous heroes of the free world. You.
“We are launching this fundraising campaign, with the support of CasaBayt and Innovest, to help one of the most vulnerable segments that is suffering from this catastrophe – our children – who lost their homes.
“They deserve to sleep safely.
“The fund will be used in organizing temporary residences for children who have been made homeless while renovating their homes.
“We have a strong belief that goodness will always prevail. The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.”
