Eduardo Lima, photojournalist from Brazil, is documenting the different aspects of the daily life in Lebanon being affected by the Syrian crisis. Lima has been roaming around the country taking pictures of Lebanese and Syrian communities dealing with the impact of the Syrian war. Last week, he went on a journey with members of the Food Heritage Foundation to the West Bekaa, visited the community kitchen in Khiara and had lunch on darb el karam – food heritage trail.
In Khiara’s kitchen, Lima photographed the ladies while they were cooking “moujaddara” for lunch. He chatted with them, asked them how working in the community kitchen impacted their lives, and then he accompanied the field officer for pots distribution to the different families enrolled in the program.
[quote]I am really glad I am including the pictures of the community kitchen in my project. I think the work you are doing, providing jobs and help is important for various things including recovering the self-esteem of those affected one way or the other by what is going on in Syria[/quote]
After visiting some families, Lima and FHF team headed to darb el karam where they visited the olive mill in Aytanit. Lima was impressed by the work at the mill while Shakar, owner of the press explained the different steps of extracting oil.
[quote]The food and generosity remind me of the family gatherings I used to have at my grandmother’s house in Brazil[/quote] said Lima while having lunch in Lina’s table d’hôte in Kherbet Kanafar.
Lina, with the help of her husband, has set the table and prepared traditional recipes from the fall menu: fattoush, mutabbal batenjen, kebbe b joz (walnut kebbe) and vegetable stew with rice. After lunch, the group savored pumpkin zlebye with a cup of tea and seasonal fruits before going back to Beirut and escaping the storm.
