Naamtallah Moukhaiber

Naamatallah lived abroad for thirty-five years, but recently came back to settle in Lebanon with his family, due to the coronavirus spread in the African continent… He was planning to establish an organization for the development of his home town Bejjeh, in Jbeil… But his dreams were killed in a country that daily offers its citizens the gifts of death and humiliation.

Naamatallah, as his name suggests, was a gift from God to his three sisters Brigitte, Carole and Sabine; he was the family's backbone. As a child, he was active, smart, and strong. He attended school in Gemmayze, and always worked during the summer break. He travelled to Budapest at sixteen, earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and came back to Lebanon. After that, he was offered a job at a printing house in Liberia. He immigrated there and stayed for ten years. He then moved to Zambia, where he founded a printing house with other partners.

He was calm and understanding… He was a handyman, according to his mother Souad, he would fix everything around the house. He dreamed of starting a family, and married the love of his life, Rachad, in 2002. They lived together in the African continent for fifteen years, and had two children, Nour (16) and Anthony (14).  Naamatallah returned to Lebanon in May 2020, fleeing the spread of the coronavirus, and decided to stay with his family who preceded him three years ago.

A day before the explosion, he gathered the youth of Bejjeh and discussed the establishment of a non-governmental organization in the town; he was preparing the NGO's registration paperwork. On the horrible Tuesday, he was home with his family, and went in his room for a nap. After the first explosion their building shook and Rachad woke him up; he freaked out. At the second explosion he hit his head to the wall and injured his hands. He stood still for a few minutes but suddenly felt dizzy, he was bleeding. Nour helped him bandage his hands. They walked down the stairs and stopped a car that took them to Saint George Hospital, and from there to Hotel Dieu Hospital, but he was not admitted at their ERs. At Mount Lebanon Hospital, he was immediately attended to, but they couldn’t save him.

Naamtallah's heart stopped on the way to the hospital. Ever since, the family is living a nightmare… His NGO project will not be dismissed. His wife will carry on his dreams as soon as she recovers her strength…