Youth Program

Camp FARES

The Youth Department’s largest program is our Summer Camp, which is held in the Fares Camp in Ras el Maten, a mountainous region full of pine trees and surrounded by attractive views. Ras el Maten altitude is 800 meter above the sea and it is 30 minutes far from Beirut.  The camp is run for 7 to 10 days at a time, and can host up to 150 people.  Each summer the YMCA runs two different camp programs, one for 6-12 year olds, and another for 13-17 year olds. 

 

While many NGOs rent out our campground for different events throughout the year, the YMCA Summer Camp is specifically focused on incorporating and spreading the Youth Department’s values, including freedom of expression, equality, openness, and dialogue. The idea is to bring together children from across Lebanon, different ethnicities and religions, to live together and practice the tenents of democracy, including tolerance, diversity, and equality of all human beings.  To this end, we plan events such as day trips, games, singing, and outdoors activities for the kids during the 7-10 days of their stay at the camp.  

 

 

The camp itself is a facility resource center, managed by the YMCA of Lebanon.  Its superficies is 110000-meter square, and is divided in many areas, and includes the following:

 

  • 15 large sleeping tents (10 persons per tent) and 15 small sleeping tents (3 persons per tent)

  •  Dining room and kitchen consist of a kitchen, a large dining room and restrooms and showers

  •  Restrooms: A block of 15restrooms is reserved for the residents of the tents, divided into men and women

  • Welcome Center: a prefabricated house reserved for administrative work and welcoming visitors

  •  Leisure: Big tent + room for various activities

  •  A football field and an all natural trail where nature related activities are conducted

 

 

 

If you or someone you know is interested in a child joining the summer camp, feel free to call the YMCA at (+961) 01-490-685, or the Youth Department at (+961) 03-19-86-15 for more information.