Prestige issue 287-288, Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018
A love story unites Rosy Boulos with the department of first-aid workers and emergency of the Lebanese Red Cross, that she presides. From a person fascinated by a mission to a passion for a cause, there was only a step to be made. Firm and decided. Rosy Boulos stepped it with total devotion and absolute satisfaction…This first vocation is not unique. Member of the executive council of Beirut Marathon and several associations in which she believes, her life is full of activities drawn from the social field, at the service of others. For her great happiness. Encounter.
«I am passionate about the mission of first-aid workers»
How was your enthusiasm for the social field born? During the civil war, we lived in an apartment surrounded by bay windows. Our neighborhood was very shelled, as we lived near a military station. We spent the day listening to the news, discussing politics and drinking coffee. The country was drifting and I felt guilty. I dreamed of contributing in some way to this war, taking place besides me. I was fascinated by one thing: The sirens of the Red Cross ambulances and these young people who risked their lives while arriving at the same time of the shelling, until the day when a little girl suffering from an asthma crisis needed to be transported by ambulance. The first ambulance that arrived was kidnapped by armed people, then another one arrives. The next day, I got engaged in the Red Cross.
You preside since 2006 the department of first-aid workers and emergency. Tell us about it… Young people of the Red Cross had no fencing jackets, nor helmets. The ambulance often broke down under the shells, and the first-aid workers were very motivated. I was passionate about this department, and I discovered how the Lebanese was courageous in misfortune. Sometimes after, I encountered an exceptional woman: May el Khalil who came from Nigeria and spoke of a new culture for which I was passionate: the Marathon. Putting at her disposal my knowledge, she asked me to be member of the executive council. Since then, I am delighted to be by her side. In 2006, the country was at war with Israel. In this case, the international Red Cross intervenes to answer our needs, requesting the help from all Red Crosses in the world. Unfortunately the help arrived very late. We had 13 martyrs but the first-aid workers were admirable. They are all volunteers coming from four corners of the country, all confessions mixed. After a severe selection, they receive a super professional training of one year, according to international standards. The injured, the brothers and sisters of martyrs are always first-aid workers at the Red Cross, and the parents are in the regional committees.
Your law studies were they useful in your life? They were essential. Until the age of 18, I was a library rat, but unable to live my life. I did some introspection to find my balance. I was passionate about the TV program «The Trial», having always dreamed to become a lawyer. I made studies and a PHD in law, and this rescued my life. I got married to Nagib Boulos, a jurist graduate from Harvard. We spoke the same language.
What did you do in Koura? My husband constructed a project in Kafar Akka, a non -profit superior technical school and a university. I installed a library of 400m2 at first floor and trained volunteers to discover the talents of 500 children who came from the region. I also founded a kindergarten and made visits with 80 young teachers of various disciplines. I was also elected member of the municipality. When the project of my husband was finished, I did not at all take care of Koura.
You have an active social life…Very active even. People, the human contact interest me equally as the social aspect. Taking time to know people authorizes the exchange of services. I get adapted to everybody.
What is for you the secret of success? Success is at the disposal of people who received a gift at birth and knew how to cultivate it. The success is based on work and chance that one must be able to cease. My parents said: «One must forgive two things in life, success and fortune. And never say: «I, I have, me».
Happiness for you, is…a durable instant, unforgettable moments that help you deal with life. What is the peak of happiness? A wapp from my grand-daughter telling me: «I miss you, One week has passed and I haven’t seen you. Please, invite us to lunch on Saturday». That is happiness.
