Illustrious jewelry designer Viviane Debbas coming to the rescue of defenseless children

Long before she became a defender of vulnerable children, Viviane was known for her refined, timeless jewelry. When she was young and single, she used to sketch her dresses, purchase the fabric and take them to a seamstress. After getting married, she started drawing jewelry and executing them in Burj Hammoud. Her friends raved about the delicate designs and asked where she got them from. Then the war happened and she left for Paris where the idea sunk in to go into the field of jewelry. She took a gemology course and began small.

Her first boutique opened in Paris in 1991, followed by several landmark locations in Lebanon, from Sofil and the Phoenicia Hotel to Beirut’s port, the latter destroyed in the 2020 explosion. She executed the pieces between Beirut, Italy and Paris, took part in exhibitions in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Paris, London and Kuwait, expanding her client base.

Jewelry for a lifetime

“I love jewelry, I like women to don timeless pieces they can mix and match day and night. Elegant and delicate jewelry they can wear many times over”. Sport chic is the famous jewelry designer’s preference, modern intertwining with classic. She mixes wood with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. What’s more, she loves pearls, they’re classic and can be worn from eighteen till one hundred years of age. They complement any look, simple jeans and a classic LBD, Little Black Dress. “Diamonds and pearls are for life when they’re designed simply”, says Viviane warmly.

Pop-ups are in the cards presently for the jewelry designer, with lines that are less extravagant and more in tune with current inclinations. 

“We wore long dresses to dinners and parties in Lebanon, now it’s pants and a top. Times have changed after the war”. Throughout her career, Viviane dressed many Lebanese, Kuwaiti, and Saudi princesses.

Passion electrifying two paths

When asked if there was a moment responsible for her success, Viviane responded: “Passion for jewelry. When you love something, you do it wholeheartedly. If you love making bread and open the business with your whole heart, you will succeed at it”.

At the beginning of her work with Himaya or Sister Marie-Abel, she never imagined accomplishing what she has today. Everyone was skeptical and tried to dissuade her.

Today, all international NGOs recognize Himaya.

Someone else had thought of the concept before, a Swiss lady and Chanel’s Madame Wertheimer had an association in Switzerland, fighting pedophilia on the internet. In Lebanon, children get snatched on the streets. Along with Pierre Issa from Arc-en-ciel, she

established a committee and rolled up her sleeves.

“First and foremost, we targeted schools with awareness campaigns, then all ministries, and hospitals”. Nowadays, whenever someone suffers an injustice, they turn to Himaya.

Her organization treats abused and traumatized children in five centers covering Lebanon, Tripoli, Zahle, Baalbek, Saida and Fanar where the main three-story center is located. Psychological, legal and social support was provided to thousands of cases nationwide.

“You have to put yourself in the shoes of the abused child, shouldn’t there be an organization to save me from this pain?”.

A second lease on life

Eighteen years with Himaya, she has witnessed countless horrifying stories. Her work has given so many traumatized children a second lease on life. An abused child has one of three options, either suicide, or repeating the cycle of abuse, or taking up drugs. With 125 people working for Himaya, Viviane is heading a committee that’s always finding ways to optimize operations. 

“The best thing in life is to give. I don’t like to take, and I prefer low profile work.

We must discuss Himaya to raise awareness, “Khabbir Ma Tkhabbe”, tell don’t hide, which is our slogan”, affirms Viviane. 

Her benevolent work extends to another thirty-year-old project. She runs a pension with sister Marie-Abel. Saint Charbel worked a miracle with the sister after she prayed to him, and he restored the use of her legs. A social worker in the Osseily fabric factories, she received young girls who would get assaulted and couldn’t go home to their villages for risk of slaughter.

The sister worked miracles during wartime, waking up to bread or water at her door, which she distributed to her village. Viviane used to pray with her along with friends which she aided, one couldn’t conceive before the sister helped him have a child. In that light, the sister requested a center before her death and her visitors complied. The center is for kids abandoned by their parents. With the Saint-Coeur sisters, they gathered small donations and constructed a building in ten years where they care for forty-three children.

An impactful bedazzled legacy

Looking ahead, Viviane finds her legacy in the delicate works of art she’s created and in the systems of care and empowerment she’s helped build through her work. “When someone says to me at a party that they know a child who was cured through Himaya, my heart swells”, confesses Viviane. “When I see friends at a party wearing earrings I’ve made thirty years ago that I barely recall, I rejoice”. 

As for what excites her most, Viviane responds with “keeping Himaya thriving and doing its valuable work”. In need of preservation and investment, culture and education are the most valuable commodities in Lebanon.