MS International Federation’s Regional Capacity Building Manager, Abdelfatah Ibrahim, visited the Lebanese MS Friends Society (ALSEP) from 9 to 14 May 2013 to carry out an organisational capacity assessment and to support the development of a future project plan together with ALSEP board members, headed by the President, Maha Malouf Kassouf.

The visit was part of the MS International Federation country-focused programme that aims at building the capacity of three organisations from the Arab region to enable them to increase the support they can offer people with MS in their countries.

The organisations taking part in this programme are ALSEP, MS Care Egypt and MS Friends Society in Palestine (MSPF).

The visit included a focus group with people with MS from different cities in Lebanon, as well as meetings with representatives in the Ministry of Social Affairs and from one of ALSEP’s key funders. By the end of the visit, the 2013-2014 action plan was set.

Abdel said, “It was fantastic to meet people with MS and other stakeholders in Lebanon who allowed me to have deep understanding of what it is like to live with MS in their country.”