“Here, under the sheet metal, look.”

“A generator.

“That’s life, you know?”

Paule’s life is a tale of helplessness and how an old rattling diesel works better than state infrastructure in Lebanon. Paul is alive thanks to his wife and friends. Nineteen years ago, polymyositis confined him to bed. Unexpectedly and brutally. Paul lost control even of his own breathing.

Four years ago, the same thing happened to Lebanon. The currency ran out of breath; the country went bankrupt. Today, it only functions thanks to those who, working abroad, share the income with those who stayed at home. These, in turn, work basically for free, because their income means nothing.

Paul has no family abroad. He gets no parcels or postal orders. He doesn’t have a pension because no social security in Lebanon works anymore. Savings have been taken by the banks. Finally, the electricity, which comes on for 2-3 hours a day throughout Lebanon, has run out. Without electricity, Paul cannot breathe.

Paul’s bed stands in the living room. At the centre of the affairs and life of the house. Outside the windows, the coast of Byblos. Here was once the centre of the Phoenician empire. It was the Phoenicians who invented money, which paradoxically is so lacking here now. Paul knows it’s hard, that the crisis has hit everyone. He is grateful that he is still breathing.

Et si tu n’existais pas… He intones a French hit in a hoarse and breathless voice. We pick up the tune and sing along.

“Life must be enjoyed to the full and moments must be seized. Squeeze them like lemons. Remember, spend your youth well, because later you never know if you will run out of time to dream.”

Paul doesn’t want to say goodbye to us. He doesn’t have many friends. When he got sick he found out that he could count on three. Dr Harouny is one of them. He brings medicines, provides medical equipment. Other friends do the shopping and help pay the bills. Paul and his wife have no money. The woman cannot leave him alone for more than a few minutes. She has quit her job, given up on herself.

“Do you know what is important in life? To love and be loved. Not just for good, even more so for bad.”

Today we want to invite you to a new project. Paul is its first hero. The whole Good Factory came from the fact that we cannot pass by a needy person whom we have look in the eye. Paul will not be left behind. The medicines, hygiene products and basic help Paul now lacks costs PLN1,800 a month. Let’s show Paul that he has real friends and will not be alone. The Good Factory distance friendship project is being launched. PLN 1,800 is really not much.

All it takes is 72 people to share PLN 25 with Paul once a month.

Will you help?