The midday sun reflects off the Mediterranean, a bright horizon that reminds me why I love this coast. I actually noticed the scale of the problem during my regular 10k runs along the Corniche—pounding the pavement, looking out at the water, and realizing just how much help our shoreline needs. For generations, endangered sea turtles have returned to Lebanon’s beaches to nest. But because of our country’s decades-long, deeply broken waste management system, these incredible marine reptiles have to navigate an obstacle course of plastic just to survive.

Lately, life has thrown its own obstacles my way. Because of the current war, I’ve been displaced from my home. While I have savings, touching them right now is out of the question—nobody knows how long this war will last, and I already know my shop has taken some damage. When the war finally ends, every dollar I have will need to go straight into major maintenance and rebuilding my business.

But even in tough times, you need something positive to look forward to—a way to clear your head and find some inspiration. For me, that dream is taking my very first airplane trip and traveling to Egypt.

Since I can’t fund it traditionally, I came up with an idea to turn a personal dream into a global win for nature: For every $100 raised for my travel fund, I will commit to doing 2 hours of heavy-duty beach cleaning right here in Lebanon.
Once it begins, every single minute of cleanup and every bag of plastic cleared to protect our sea turtles will be fully documented. I’ll be recording the entire process and posting the proof directly on my Instagram page: hussein_traboulsy.

By supporting this journey, you aren't just helping me catch my first flight to see the world; you’re directly hiring me to protect a beautiful ecosystem that desperately needs the help. Let’s clean the coast, save the turtles, and get this trip off the ground!