Humanitarian Sister Micheline Lattouf of the Good Shepherd Sisters was honored by Maryville University with the annual Sister Mary Byles Peace and Justice Prize & Lecture in April.
Lattouf was recognized for her work with the refugees of the Syrian conflict. Lattouf heads the Good Shepherd Social and Community Center in Deir al-Ahmar, a village in Lebanon’s northern Bekaa Valley. The Center provides education for more than 300 refugee children. School brings structure and a sense of normalcy to these children’s lives during wartime.
“If you want to change something in the world, you need to start with the children,” Lattouf said. “They learn so much from our actions, and it’s our responsibility to teach the children today how we want it to be in the future.”
Additionally, Lattouf and her staff work with adult refugees to help them find employment options in the face of long-term displacement. The Center also provides the basics for survival, including distributing shelter materials, food, water and clothing to families.ion to be even more powerful and imaginative communicators,” said Cherie Fister, MFA, vice president for academic affairs.