Leadership

Mrs. Bahia Hariri has always believed in Lebanon and the Lebanese people. “My fellow citizens are creating the future,” she says. “If we succeed in creating a truly modern state, with everyone able to live there without any borders, advocating law for everybody, everywhere, the Lebanese will be an inspiration to the rest of the world.” Mrs. Bahia was born the third child of a modest family; her father was a farmer, her mother a housewife. Still, her mother was keen to provide adequate education for her children. Mrs. Bahia went to school at age five and has fond memories of all her teachers. She was a brilliant pupil who continued to become a brilliant student. Despite dreaming of a medical career, she eventually studied teaching upon her mother’s advice. After graduating, Mrs. Bahia started teaching in a small village before returning to her home city of Saida. Ten years later, in 1979, she headed the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development created by her brother Martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, providing education scholarships to tens of thousands of Lebanese youth during the civil war. Meanwhile, she was also married, gave birth to and raised four children, while managing to maintain the right balance between her personal and professional life.