Mouna Elias El Hrawi was born in 1941 in Baalbeck to a Palestinian father and a Lebanese mother. As the eldest of three girls, she spent her early years in Bethlehem until her father’s passing when she was nine. Raised by her paternal aunt in Amman until completing high school, she returned to Baalbeck at 17, joining her mother and sisters. In 1961, she married Elias El Hraoui, later becoming Lebanon’s First Lady in 1989.
Notable Positions and Involvements:
- First Lady of Lebanon from 1989 to 1998.
- Established and heads the Chronic Care Center since 1993.
- Founder and President of the Lebanese Heritage Foundation starting in 1996.
- Board member at the Thalassemia International Federation from 1994.
- Contributed to the Suzane Mubarak Women’s International Movement for Peace from 2003 to 2006.
- Founded and led the Lebanese Permanent Committee for Coordination from 1991 to 1998.
- Chaired the National Committee for the Preparation of the 4th World Conference on Women in 1995.
- Presided over the Lebanese National Commission for Lebanese Women from 1995 to 1998.
- Acted as Honorary President of the Lebanese Red Cross Association between 1990 and 1998.
Recognitions and Accolades:
- Received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Schiller International University in 1998.
- Awarded the International Award for the Development of Permanent Child Health and Welfare Services in New York, 1996.
- HOPE Worldwide Award recipient for aiding the underprivileged in Lebanon in 1995.
- Recognized with the International Youth Foundation Patron Award in 1994 for supporting the UN Program on the International Year of Family.
Key Contributions:
- Led projects like the restoration of Nahr el-Kalb’s steles by the Lebanese Heritage Foundation. Also, initiated the creation of the “Museum of Rural Life – Terbol” and the “Ecomusée – Râs Baalbek” between 1996 and 2010.
- Rehabilitated the Beirut National Museum and launched its Museum Gift Shop from 1996 to 1999 for self-sustenance.
- Organized Classical Music Concerts at the Beirut Museum in 1996-1997.
- Initiated a Télethon on May 29, 1993, aiding children with chronic illnesses, which led to the founding of the Chronic Care Center.
- Orchestrated the Anjar Festivals in 1974
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