This is not just another success story gone sour.
It is the story of a hardworking man who worked very hard for years and lost it all due suffocating circumstances in the blink of an eye.
My name is Georges Badran, a 41 years old Lebanese citizen who is the sole breadwinner at home and this is my story.
Open a restaurant had always been a dream of mine . I used the money i had and took a loan in order to make that dream come true. April 28th 2019 was the opening of kanoon ( my restaurant name ) . I had hoped that kanoon would make it , even though slowly, and i would be able pay my loan , and hopefully after that reach a stable economic situation. One can never go wrong with food right?
WRONG . The economic situation in Lebanon kept going downhill, but i kept the faith .
October 17th 2019 : the Lebanese revolution takes off, at times so violent that opening the restaurant is not possible. Lockdown follows for weeks , also because of the uprisings.
January 2020 Covid-19 starts hitting Lebanon hard, yet again causing complete lockdown.
August 4 : the Beirut explosion ranked third in the world goes of. Kanoon which is in the heart of Mar Mikhael - Beirut is demolished.
One would think that would be my lowest , not really.
May 20 2020 : i am diagnosed with cancer . Treatment is possible, but it is incredibly costly in a country like Lebanon since social security is unreliable.
Now what ?
I am a man who has lost everything and is struggling to beat cancer as well as serious liver complications.
I am a son whose mother is still struggling with dialysis and is need of a kidney transplant.
I am an ex-restaurant owner who has not even approached by anyone from the public sector in an attempt to help me pay the restaurant loans.
I am a man who has to pay pack huge debts.
But most of all , i am a man who s struggling on all levels with very little chance of success - if any.