60th Anniversary of Dekwaneh
The more I work with the Municipality of Dekwaneh, and specifically with Mayor Antoine Chakhtoura, the more I become in awe of his popularity among the people of Dekwaneh. Recently, I got to witness and experience, at first hand, where this popularity stems from.
During one of our meetings in his office, which was formerly his father’s office, and his grandfather’s grocery story prior to that, Chakhtoura presented me with an invitation to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the city of Dekwaneh, whereby he would be presenting a book about the city of Dekwaneh entitled “History…Resilience…and a Present that Speaks the Future”.
Pride and Passion for his Ancestors
Chakhtoura pulled up a chair beside me and showed me this marvelous book that he would be presenting, filled with stories, illustrations, and details about legends that have left their mark on the city of Dekwaneh. Among those legends are Chakhtoura’s father and maternal grandfather, both former mayors of the Municipality of Dekwaneh. With so much zest and pride for his heritage, he leafed through the pages of the book, and spoke of these legends with passion and eagerness.
The book, which took two and half years of preparation, holds a sentimental meaning to Chakhtoura as he reminisced about his ancestors and the great people that did so much for this city throughout the years. With his roots ingrained in Dekwaneh, and coming from a family active in municipal work for decades, one can’t help but feel emotional while listening to him speak of the city and its people.
A True Leader…Like Father Like Son
Later on, at the event, I was equally impressed with the way Chakhtoura received his visitors with so much humility and open-heartedness, the perfect host who was doting over his visitors as if they were in his own home. What was equally impressive was that the majority of attendees were all local citizens of Dekwaneh; the actual people who had a right to celebrate alongside their mayor with pride for their city.
Hearing Chakhtoura speak in front of the crowd, and watching the spectators hang on every word he said, I understood how rooted this man was to his city and to his people. Raised by a father who was known for his philanthropy and service for the people of Dekwaneh, Chakhtoura is a prime example of history repeating itself….a true leader of his community.