WHO WE ARE

<p>Dr. Jackie Kassouf Maalouf is the Founder and President of&nbsp; Dialeb- The National Diabetes Organization, a leading diabetes organization in Lebanon which she founded with her daughter Sylvie living with type 1 diabetes in 2010 and has been the president since.</p> <p>She holds a Ph.D. in Public Relations &amp; Communications from the University of Corllins in Virginia, USA. She made it her mission in life to advocate for those living with diabetes, and delivers educational and motivational talks specially to the recently diagnosed.&nbsp;</p> <p>She has 10 years of experience in leading the NGO&rsquo;s awareness campaigns and activities across Lebanon. She holds a diabetes educator certificate, and has participated as a speaker at many local, regional, and international diabetes conferences.&nbsp;</p> <p>Prior to running DiaLeb, Dr. Maalouf taught at the American University in Beirut (AUB) and the American University of Culture and Education (AUCE) and continues to offer training sessions in different topics. Dr. Maalouf has been an active board member of the Lebanese American Renaissance Partnership LARP since 2014. Her book appearances include: &laquo; The 100 &raquo; most influential Lebanese figures around the globe published in 2017 and &laquo; Women pioneers in Lebanon and the Arab region &raquo; published in 2010.</p>

<p>After her diagnosis with type 1 diabetes, an activist and social entrepreneur at heart, Sylvie founded the National Diabetes Organization, DiaLeb, with her mother Jackie. Since its inception in January of 2011, Sylvie provides her time on a volunteer basis and is responsible for setting out the mission, vision, and goals of the NGO. She oversees the work plan and annual targets and develops new programs.<br /><br />Sylvie holds a Masters degree in Intentional Trade and Investment policy from the George Washington University in Washington, DC, USA and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Business from the American University of Beirut. <br /><br />Sylvie has held multiple advisory roles, including as consultant for the World Bank and American Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC, economic adviser working for the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics in Qatar and more recently as a Business Development Leader for government sector at Ernst &amp; Young (EY) MENA. Recently, she joined the Qatar Foundation team working as a head of programs for the CEO office. <br /><br /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr. Patrick Zaarour is the general manager and founder and medical director of "Centre Medical de la Femme" (CMF), in Jbeil, Lebanon. Dr. Patrick is married with 4 children.<br /><br />Dr. Zaarour holds several degrees in gynecology and obstetrics, including specialized diplomas in fetal medicine, infertility and reproductive disorders, and has a vast career as an IVF specialist. He is an active member of the "French Society of Infertility", "Fetal Medicine Foundation", "French Society of Ultrasound in Gynecology-Obstetrics", and "French Society of Breast Cancer". <br /><br />Having supported many high-risk pregnancy cases (including diabetes patients), Dr. Patrick became aware of DiaLeb's cause and became a founding member, advising and supporting DiaLeb on issues related to diabetes and female reproductive health.<br /><br /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Maitre Michel Hannouche, lawyer, established Hannouche Associates in 1988, after losing his eyesight. Following over two decades of legal practice, his firm has attained a leading status, in Lebanon and the Middle East. <br /><br />His status as one of the top legal advisors in the region, has led parliamentary committees and governments to ask for his contribution in drafting several laws and regulations. <br /><br />Michel holds a Bachelor and a Master of Law degree from the Lebanese University Law School and has been a member of the Beirut Bar Association since 1985. . <br /><br />In 2010, he supported DiaLeb with the necessary procedures for its establishment as a legal NGO, and was drawn to its mission, leading him to become an official founder in 2011.<br /><br /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Salim Elias Andraos is a successful Lebanese businessman and managing director and CEO at Younes Power Systems LTD in Nigeria. Salim has a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in business administration from the American University of Science and Technology. <br /><br />Salim has been an entrepreneur since an early age and was drawn to social entrepreneurship, having collaborated with several NGOs in Lebanon. Having a cousin with type 1 diabetes led him to join the founder&rsquo;s committee of Dialeb in 2011. Since then, he has been a great support to Dialeb and supports with fundraising efforts to support our activities and accomplish our mission in society.<br /><br /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background: white;">Mr. Nehme has successfully combined his business acumen and his interest in social service. He is the founder and president of LDN, which provides capacity building and marketing strategy support to NGOs. Amine obtained a B.A. in political science from the American University of Beirut, a BS in Marketing from the Lebanese American University and a master&rsquo;s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy from the Notre Dame University. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background: white;">He has completed multiple leadership development programs. Amine has been an instrumental advisor since DiaLeb&rsquo;s inception, collaborating with and supporting the team with his insights and experience along the way.</span></p>

<p>Ms. Lina Farhat joined DiaLeb in 2017 as the lead dietitian and awareness program coordinator. She holds a B.S. degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the Lebanese American University (LAU), and has more than 5 years of experience as a clinical dietitian including having completed her internship at Saint Coeur Hospital. <br /><br />Lina is passionate about providing nutritional programs based on the health needs of each individual patient and counseling them on how to lead a healthier lifestyle.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Ms. Christine Maalouf holds a B.A. degree in Media and Communications and a minor in Economics from the American University of Beirut (AUB). In 2014, she founded an online platform that advocates healthy living called &ldquo;Beirut Fitness&rdquo;. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 28.35pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Christine is an expert in communications and public relations and continues to </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">work with several brands and companies as a communications consultant. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align: left; direction: rtl; unicode-bidi: embed;" align="right"><span dir="LTR" lang="FR" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background: white;">She joined DiaLeb as youth coordinator in 2013, leading and managing several projects targeting volunteers. She then moved on to become our communications consultant, managing and executing several social media campaigns for DiaLeb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>In 2019, Christine was designated as head of communications and outreach; working passionately to raise awareness, build collaborations and promote DiaLeb&rsquo;s work.</span></p>

<p>Mrs. Izabella Daher holds a B.S. degree in Physical Chemistry Laboratory Analysis from the Technical College of Buzau, Romania.</p> <p>After having volunteered with several NGOs, Izabella&rsquo;s passion for social service led her to join the Dialeb team as a volunteer. Two years later, in 2014, she became the president&rsquo;s administrative assistant, coordinating meetings and following up on the leads of the president. In early 2020, Izabella became DiaLeb&rsquo;s office manager, making sure that all the administrative work run smoothly and thoroughly.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Nassif El Kalaany holds a MSc degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Lebanese University and Paris-Sud University.</p> <p>He is living with type 1 diabetes and has been involved in diabetes awareness with DiaLeb since 2016.</p> <p>In 2019, he started his advocacy journey by joining the Young Leaders in Diabetes program. As a patient advocate, he is working on several projects to influence policies and fight for the rights of people living with diabetes. In 2020, Nassif became the head of the volunteering, training and overseeing the development of the volunteer experience within the team, with the aim to deepen engagement and develop long term support and recognition.</p>

<p>Ph.D. in Health Services Research (Dietetics) Licensed Dietitian</p>

<p>Diabetes touches a large segment of our society &amp; touches me personally. Therefore, I fully support DiaLeb&rsquo;s message &amp; the valuable information made available to the public.</p>

<p>As a doctor, I recognize the need for an organization that cares about the struggles of people with diabetes.</p>

<p>Living with diabetes is a challenge. I admire the mission that Dialeb has and wish them all the luck.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Be active and even run marathons, because nothing should stop you from putting on your running shoes and hitting the open road.&rdquo; I support DiaLeb&rsquo;s efforts to promote healthy living.</p>

<p>I fully support Dialeb and all its efforts in promoting awareness &amp; knowledge, as well as their work in helping people with diabetes.</p>

<p>Beware, of "letting go" because by neglecting our way of life, believe me, we will pass quickly.</p>

<p>They say &ldquo;an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure&rdquo;, and I say: prevention and awareness with DiaLeb is the shortest road to good health.</p>

<p>Nowadays, diabetes threatens every family. Therefore, it is very important to know more about it, in order to prevent it, treat it better &amp; alleviate its complications. We thank the efforts of DiaLeb and support their sublime mission.</p>

<p>Health is like music. It needs passion, patience and persistence. Diabetes is indeed a disease that should be well managed and controlled. Great job DiaLeb!</p>

<p>We all care about our assets and possessions. Yet, many times we neglect our greatest asset: our health. For this, DiaLeb&rsquo;s service to the community is immensely valued.</p>

<p>Always remember to regularly check your blood glucose as prevention and also as part of treatment. DiaLeb&rsquo;s efforts to spread awareness in the community are much appreciated.</p>

<p>Age is not just a number; we can definitely grow older without losing our health, if we had enough awareness. I am proud to help DiaLeb raise the voice for this noble cause.</p>

<p>We as artists, have the huge responsibility to be role models in spreading awareness. All the best to DiaLeb team who strives to spread goodness around!</p>

<p>I am honored to support DiaLeb in its mission; only through awareness can we stop diabetes from advancing in our society.</p>

<p>I believe that diabetes awareness is very important and plays a huge role in our community. I applaud the efforts of DiaLeb in promoting awareness about diabetes across Lebanon!</p>

<p>DiaLeb not only spreads awareness to prevent diabetes, but also focuses on improving the quality of life of those affected. I wish DiaLeb the best of success in their activities which benefit the entire community.</p>

<p>My goal is to create an impact on the community, especially our youth, and continuously deliver important messages regarding the prevention and/or control of diabetes.</p>

<p>Although physical activity is a cornerstone in the management of diabetes, many individuals fail to remain regularly active. My role as a professional athlete, is to encourage people to engage in regular physical activity as it helps in the prevention and control of diabetes.</p>

<p>Nowadays, the number of people affected with diabetes worldwide, is huge. I strongly recommend all the people I love to get their blood glucose tested for better control of their health.</p>

<p>I personally chose physical activity as a way to face diabetes. Thus, under a campaign entitled &ldquo;The Run&rdquo;, I ran 452 kilometers all the way from al-Kobayat to Marjayoun in just 8 days with the goal of spreading awareness about the importance of exercise in preventing diabetes.</p>

<p>Apart from the physical benefits, running helps me relieve the stress of daily life &amp; develop strength. Being a sports goodwill ambassador for DiaLeb, living with T2D &amp; taking care of my mother who is also living with T2D, has helped me perform better. I look forward to continue promoting physical activity &amp; spreading diabetes awareness.</p>