Farah was born in Beirut in 1995, to a Lebanese mother and a Syrian father. Her mother used to obtain student residence permit for her and her 3 sisters on an annual basis. Back then, the information issued by the general security regarding Lebanese mothers and their children were very ambiguous, so Farah’s mother used to ask for these annual permits, until she discovered by coincidence that she could ask for the infamous courtesy residency permit.

“No words express the extent of the injustice that befalls us as women. What is this country that treats me as an incomplete citizen and rejects my daughter and deprives her of her right to be Lebanese?" With these words Theodora begins.

Heba's father used to work in the Palestinian National Crescent, and in the early nineties he had three options: either to immigrate to Europe, or to stay here and obtain Lebanese citizenship, or to stay here while refusing citizenship. He chose to stay because he was attached to this land, but he refused the Lebanese nationality as a principle related to the Palestinian cause. 

For years, most women with disabilities have lost the opportunity to integrate into the Lebanese society. When they apply for jobs, no one is interested in exploring their real capacities in working and being productive. Moreover, they are often subjected to prejudice, as indicated by one of the workers in the kitchen, based on their disability, which requires them to perform fewer tasks and be paid a lower salary compared to other workers.

While looking at her old journal, Jinan realizes the improvement in her handwriting. She is also conscious that the letters and words are windows to the soul as well as to distant horizons. She believes they can transport you to places where the soul and the mind connect. The young woman suffers from reduced mobility resulting from cerebral palsy since birth.

I was always invited to audition for acting in soap operas and films in Lebanon. However, once the directors noticed my leg and the device that I use, they would become evasive. I have one leg shorter than the other as I was born with a condition called “Limb Length Discrepancy”. Two years ago, I started suffering from osteoporosis, and became unable to use the device, thus, I started using a wheelchair.  

I was forced into my first sexual intercourse at the age of 12. My father was an alcoholic and tried to rape me. I managed to evade him as much as possible, but the aggression continued.  

I tried to inform the security forces, because I was aware of what was happening, but instead of arresting him, they arrested me, and I was threatened not to mention the rape incident again. 

I thought marriage would save me from my family, especially from my brother, who denied me my right to study, work, and communicate with the outside world, because I am a girl, and in his opinion, girls should stay home. Every time I revolted against his approach, he would beat me up.