ARDI, Four Years of Development, Progress Exhibit

Siraj Kobeissy

For the fourth year in a row, the Jihad Al Binaa Development Foundation held the opening ceremony of ARDI, the handcraft and organic food exhibition, in Sayyed Al Shuhada Complex in the Beirut southern suburb.



With verses from the Holy Quran, the exhibition was blessed to be launched.

In the opening ceremony held on Thursday, Mohammad Hajj, Head of Jihad Al Binaa Development Foundation expressed his relief that the exhibition has been progressing and blooming despite all obstacles facing the Lebanese people.



On another level, Head of Hizbullah Juristic Council, Sheikh Mohammad Yazbek, delivered a speech in the opening ceremony, in which he praised all organizers and participators in the exhibition, referring that they are enriching their country.

Sheikh Mohammad Yazbek also referred that this exhibition, in its fourth year has achieved a great deal in developing handicrafts and food products, mainly homemade and organic without any unhealthy preservatives.



Sheikh Yazbek boosted the achievement of Jihad Al Binaa in developing such an exhibition, which meets most of the people's needs.

After his speech, Head of Hizbullah Juristic Council and other figures, including Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc members Nawwar Shaheli, Walid Sukkariyeh, and Ali Mokdad, went on a tour in the exhibition, taking a look at all corners and what they present of handicrafts and natural healthy foods.



ARDI also specialized some of its corners for some organizations, including Al Mahdi Scouts, the Support of the Resistance Committee, and many other organizations that chose to display their products.

Fatima, a lady participating for the third year in the popular exhibition, expressed to Moqawama.org her happiness of this year's progress and development.

Fatima's corner is mainly specialized with handmade accessories and souvenirs of many interests.



Zeinab Hazimeh, a lady who has now become a regular participant in the exhibition for the fourth year, said that each year, the number of visitors to the exhibition increases, and so does the number of corners, where more popular needs are met in ARDI.

From the south and north of Lebanon, people came to present people from other regions with their products and riches.

From Aramtah, the southern resistant village, Mona Sabra runs a corner specialized in organic healthy foods, including homemade jams and many others.

Mona Sabra referred that she is very thankful for Jihad Al Binaa Foundation for making it possible for her organization to market its products on a wider scale.

Mona's organization chose to present Sheikh Mohammad Yazbek with a basket full of their organic products, by the end of his tour in the exhibition.



Lebanon is a beautiful country in its people, resources and riches, but being related to it, the Palestinian cause should take part in Lebanese exhibitions, in order to stress on the importance of following up with its sister country's sufferings.

Women for Quds, an organization which has been taking part in ARDI since its first year, this year also stands to remind people of the Palestinian issue, where it presents handicrafts sent from the inside of the occupied territories.

Um Omar, a Palestinian woman, and a resident in Borj Al Barajneh refugee camp, said that her organization's aim is to spread the word over the Palestinian issue, especially that the Lebanese concerns of Palestine should be greater than they really are.

On the other hand, Um Omar also referred that people are mainly interested in getting to know more about the Palestinian cause, adding that what Women for Quds is giving are cultural and traditional Palestinian handicrafts which someday would be worth a lifetime.

Every once in a while more people enter the great exhibition hall to make a tour.



Hoda, a girl who came along with her family to see whether the exhibition has something new, said that for four years she has been coming, and every year there would be something new and interesting.

Hoda noticed that there is great progress in the food status, being organic and healthy, where she said that people should take care of their health in light of the fast life they're facing, and ARDI represents a door for that.

In an Interview with Moqawama.org, Batoul Noureldien, Assistant Social Development Commissioner in Al Mahdi Scouts, said that ARDI has been witnessing a developing stage in the past four years, where each year new corners of different interests and aspects are being loaded, in addition to the increase in number of visitors.

People around the exhibition were hoping for more of what ARDI is presenting, assuring that ARDI has become a part of their lives.

Jihad Al Binaa has surely succeeded, not only in the development of the infrastructure and buildings in the country, but also in the development of people's lives in what concerns with their interests and needs, in order to flourish the society, into an enriched Lebanese society.