How it Started

Our founders, Dr. Youssef Abdelmassih and Dr. Sylvain el-Khoury initiated Geneah with the Ayounkon project, which started as a pilot project and is now in its third phase. Ayounkon focuses on the visual health of people in need in the Bekaa Valley.

Youssef and Sylvain provided visual health services in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, where health services and support are not always accessible to the vulnerable population of Lebanese and refugees. Following the realization of free eye examinations, the team cooperated with ARCS NGO to develop further health initiatives.

Sylvain studied medicine in Tübingen, Germany and was trained as an ophthalmologist in Germany, Lebanon and France. Since 2013, Sylvain has been active in supporting health structures for ophthalmology in regions with structural weakness. As such, he worked as a retina surgeon for Christoffel Blindmission in Rwanda, co-initiated the Ayounkon project and is part of a project for the development of a new visual-field for low-income countries.

www.sylvainelkhoury.de

Youssef studied medicine at the Université Saint Joseph and started general ophthalmology training in Hotel Dieu de France. He completed his training and began specializing in pediatric and adult medical and surgical retina at the Hospital Fondation Rothschild where he remains a full-time attending. He co-initiated the Ayounkoun project and regularly takes part in medical and surgical ophthalmological missions in Rwanda. Youssef is well implicated in research and has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Elisa has extensively worked in the MENA region, managing humanitarian aid and development projects. Her main sectors of specialization are: migration, civil society, rights protection, economic empowerment, rural development and cultural cooperation. Elisa is also passionate about socially engaged art and participatory development practices.

Emmanuel is a co-founder of Impact for Africa S.p.A. an impact investment company targeting Rwanda and Namibia and focusing on value chain initiatives with positive social and climate impact.

Previously Emmanuel worked at Exor N.V. in the investments team where he led ESG activities. He also founded an IT-security startup, holds an MBA from Collège des Ingénieurs and is an engineer from the Technical University of Munich.

Hüseyin is a locum radiologist based in Berlin with expertise in transition and digitalization of health systems. Besides his work in the healthcare sector he is an Open Data activist for preservation and digitalization of art and cartographic works.

Sarah holds a B.A in Business from LAU, Beirut and a master’s degree in Marketing from Polimoda, Florence.

Sarah joined the corporate world in 2012 to work in the fashion industry in Dubai until 2016 where she decided to come back to Beirut to lead a life of impact.

After her yoga teaching training in Evolation, Santa Barbara and a health coaching certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, New York; she embarked on a journey dedicated to help her community targeting both mental and physical health.