Lebanese families in Al Mhamara, North Lebanon rediscover comfort through the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) shelter rehabilitation support.
A place to call home in North Lebanon
Inside Ali’s home
In the quiet village of Al-Mahmara, North Lebanon, Ali Ahmad Khaled, his wife Hiba, and their children lived in a modest home long past its best days. Cracked walls and broken fixtures made winters severe and daily life hard. Still, Ali held onto the place with pride.
“This has always been my home,” Ali, who was born and raised in the village, says. “But times got so hard, I couldn’t fix it on my own.”
Inside, the situation was dire. The kitchen was falling apart, the sink was broken, and the cement floor was cracked. Cold wind and rain slipped through the house’s iron windows. With Ali’s health challenges and no steady income, repairs felt out of reach.
Ali didn’t ask for much, just a little help to ease the burden
Hope arrived when NRC selected Ali’s home to benefit from the shelter support project funded by the German Government through KfW Development Bank.
The transformation was life-changing. The kitchen was fully renovated with a new sink and better flooring. The bathrooms were upgraded with a proper door, restoring privacy and safety. New wooden doors were installed for the bedrooms and entrance, and aluminum-insulated windows replaced the old iron ones, keeping out the cold. Fresh paint gave the home a clean, welcoming feel.
“You gave me good budget for the essential renovation, and I managed the rest. That was enough. God bless you,” he says.
The repairs didn’t just improve the structure, they also restored the family’s sense of comfort.
“We haven’t forgotten what you did for us. You really lightened our burden. The house feels like a home again.”
From crowded to comfortable: Amina’s home transformed
Just below Ali’s house lives his brother, Mostafa, with his wife, Amina, their five children, and Ali and Mostafa’s elderly mother. Eight people share a space built for far fewer.
The kitchen and bathroom were squeezed into one corner, and the entire family shared a single room to sleep.
“The house was in bad shape,” says Amina with a shy smile. “We all slept in one room, and the kitchen and bathroom were in the same cramped spot.”
The conditions were unsafe as well as largely uncomfortable. All eight family members shared a single, dark, hard-to-access bathroom, and the small kitchen couldn’t support daily use. Winters brought rain and cold, making life even harder.
That’s when NRC stepped in. The kitchen and bathroom were relocated to more practical spots, and interior partitions were added to create a second bedroom with its own private bathroom. With less crowding, improved privacy, and a better layout, the family could finally breathe.
“Now we have two bedrooms instead of one. The kitchen looks better, cleaner… and finally, we can sit and rest a bit,” Amina says.
These changes made daily routines easier, increased usable space, and created more functional zones for the family.
An extra room
Before the repairs, the whole family slept in a single room. A dedicated room was created for Ali and Mostafa’s mother, fitted with new doors and windows, and a private bathroom for easy access.
“My mother-in-law is old, she needs care,” Amina explains. “Before, she didn’t have a proper bathroom. Now, we can support her more easily at least.
“I can sleep calmly, knowing she’s comfortable. If she wakes at night, the bathroom is close, and she’s safe.”
In a home of eight, every improvement mattered.
These two stories from North Lebanon show how targeted support brings real change.
From Ali’s repaired kitchen, bathrooms, doors and windows to Amina’s added bedroom and her mother-in-law’s private bathroom, these changes brought warmth, privacy, and safety, turning houses into homes.
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