A party dress in exchange for milk or diapers and children's clothing in exchange for oil or medicines are some of the barter proposals that appear on the Lebanon website, a bankrupt country where families have less and less resources to survive.
With massive dismissals and salary cuts to tens of thousands of Lebanese, the economic collapse has accelerated in recent months.It is accompanied by a historical depreciation of the currency, a rise in prices and bank restrictions to the withdrawal of dollars or to transfers abroad.
Given this new impoverishment, the middle class accustomed to leisure and consumption has to tighten the belt.Trueque groups have emerged in social networks.
Two weeks after its creation, "Lebanon Trueca" has more than 12.000 users on Facebook.
A user exchanges a baby car chair for "food or clothes for a one -year -old boy".Food for cleaning products and soccer sneakers for clothing for a seven -year -old boy.
Zeinab offers a party dress in exchange for milk and two diaper packages for your 11 -month -old baby.
"I propose something that I no longer use in exchange for something I really need," explains this 25 -year -old mother.
"I have never asked anyone," he regrets this professional makeup artist.
Just a few months ago his family enjoyed a "good" situation.But her husband's company closed and Zeinab lost her clients because of the restrictions imposed by the new coronavirus.
"We live from our few savings.We don't know what we are going to do when they run out, "he says worried.
With duplicate prices in a few months, children's milk, which was normally sold for 28.000 Lebanese pounds, now it costs 48.000 ll.And the diaper package has gone from 10.000 to 23.000 ll, asegura.
- "No one can buy" -
The national currency reaches in the parallel market 8.000 pounds for a dollar, although officially the pound remains indexed to the green ticket with a exchange rate in 1.507 pounds for a dollar.
The economic crisis was one of the main catalysts of the popular uprising of October 2019, against politicians accused of corruption and incompetence.
In a country where almost everything is imported, inflation for food products exceeded 72% between October 2019 and the end of May, according to the consumer protection association.
Nurhan obtained a physiotherapy session for a friend's paralytic son, offering trays and decorative boxes.
"At first I wanted to sell them," Nurhan explains to AFP through Facebook."I suggested the barter, because nobody can buy".
After their announcement, several doctors offered their services for free.Other users have sent donations.
- "It's crazy" -
On the Internet a solidarity network arises in a country where 45% of the population lives below the poverty threshold.
Donations are requested in "Libontroc", another Facebook group with more than 50.000 members.Its founder, Hala Dahruj, quotes as an example the Lebanese dismissed who ask for help to pay for rent.
Cherin Kababi sees the precariousness daily.In your "party clothing" store you donate used clothes for free and distributes food aid.
"It is crazy the number of people who come to keep tail only by bread".The hardest thing, says Kabani, is to see those who used to donate need."Those who donated clothes now come to change it for provisions".
Some mothers arrive with their children wrapped in diapers, plastic bags or pieces of fabric.Others give sugary water instead of milk.
One day a woman came and the Abaya took off, a long robe to the feet used on clothes in some Arab countries."He told me: 'Tomela and give me a diaper package'".
© 2020 AFP
