07-03-2025 | di COOPI

Lebanon. Tales of education and resilience through the lens

SHAMS (Sun) is the title of the photography exhibition organized in Beirut, Lebanon, by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) from March 6 to 20, 2025. The exhibition aims to convey a message of hope for the future, represented by children, and the desire to make that future brighter. The exhibition also features photographs from the COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale project, funded by AICS, titled "Supporting quality inclusive education and improving protection for vulnerable Lebanese and refugee children in North Lebanon".

Poster of the exhibition.

The author, photojournalist Marco Palombi, closely followed AICS's monitoring missions of the projects, visiting schools and informal education centers across Lebanon. His photographs capture not only the reality of these places but also the tangible impact of the projects on children, telling stories of resilience and hope. In particular, Palombi documented the work carried out at the "Shining in Peace" Learning Center in Halba, Akkar Governorate, where the COOPI project is being implemented.

Minyara, a young beneficiary of the COOPI project.

The photographs in this exhibition invite a visual conversation between the subject and the viewer, where light and shadow work together to reveal an unfiltered reality. The children’s direct gaze into the camera speaks to universal experiences, representing a generation and a people whose struggles, despite the challenges they face, embody resilience and hope.

This exhibition is part of a broader context that reflects Italy's commitment to education in Lebanon. COOPI has been operating in the country since 2013, working closely with local communities, particularly women and children. With the support of AICS, the organization has developed and implemented numerous projects, focusing not only on education and child protection but also on key areas such as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and improving socio-economic conditions, adopting a multisectoral and integrated approach to meet both the immediate and long-term needs of vulnerable populations.