The LFPADE started implementing the project: “Promotion of the Economic Status of Women in South Lebanon; Tyr Region” in April 2016 which is funded by the UN Women/ Fund for Gender Equality (FGE). The goal of this project is to “strengthened socio-economic status of women in the marginalized regions of South Lebanon, particular Tyre, through economic empowerment, an important component of gender equality”. The project aims to enhance the economic stability of 300 women who are working from their homes and to build the capacity of the cooperatives so they can become profit making establishments and to help strengthen the economic situation of women in targeted region. The project has so far provided women with enough knowledge and expertise to increase their economic opportunities and become independent actors in their society.

Activities undertaken under this project aim to contribute to achieve sustainable results divided into six areas: (1) increased capacity of 300 women entrepreneurs in South Lebanon (2) Increased availability of marketing strategies to enhance the position of women entrepreneurs in the market (3) Development of a certified food-safety management system within Joud Al Ard and Jaddati cooperatives (4) Increased availability of coordinating and complimentary frameworks with key stakeholders  (5) Increased number of coalitions of women entrepreneurs to push for common agenda for women empowerment at the local level and (6) Increased number of new cooperatives that will help organize women’s work in 3 target villages

To achieve these goals, LFPADE has implemented a series on capacity building training courses. Women who work in agro-food production were trained on HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points), marketing, branding, labeling and establishment of small business. 10 training courses have been implemented on HACCP and 10 training courses have been implemented on marketing, branding, labeling and establishment of small business reaching 300 women. The training agenda included innovative games, activities, and exercises to motivate the women to set their own goals, strengthen their working relationships, work together, and create small initiatives that will bring them self-satisfaction and profit. Through this project, around 40% of targeted beneficiaries were also able to sell their products and obtain an income, through participation is exhibitions. The revenue differed based on the exhibition and number of visitors, but the women were always happy that they participated, not only to make money but also to gain experience and network with other women and cooperatives, and to get a better idea about markets what items are in high demand and what items are not.

  • As part of its up scaling initiative with the support from the Government of German, UN women FGE has launched the Scaling Initiative in 2017-2019. Our project up scaling efforts aims mainly to “increase the income of targeted beneficiaries through the implementation of an effective marketing strategy”. The up scaling initiative that is currently implemented aims to increase the number of women impacted through identification of best target markets, in collaboration with Visionaris S.a.l to increase women’s selling. This will go hand in hand with branding of items that women will be trained on how to produce in a consistent way. LFPADE believes that branding will add value to the business, and will provide employees with motivation to establish new customers. Further, the marketing consultant will be assisting in market mapping and establishing partnership with private sector and LFPADE will continue to expand its cycle of partnership with other institutions that can be beneficial to scale the project and improve women’s life

LFPADE is also advocating for the formation of at least 3 in Janata, Yannouh and Maarake with the help of the target municipalities. Soon, we will also be re-innovating two kitchens in South Lebanon to help them, through specialized consultants, achieve international standards that can assist Lebanese women in reaching local and international standards. LFPADE will be also launching a one day micro-finance day to enhance women’s access to loans. The event will host banks that provide services within the area of Tyr. Stay tuned on our Facebook page for more information!

Link: https://www.facebook.com/hudafarfour/

September 2019 – June 2020

Based on a UN Women agreement, LFPADE partnered with Visionaris, a business and management consultants to implement a project that aimed to build the capacity of 200 women in food safety & production and to place at least 170 women in SMEs to do a paid internship, the project aimed as well as to build capacity of Khraibet El Jundi Women Coop in Akkar to become a sustainable operational cooperative.

The LFPADE & VISINARIS team coordinated with 7 Social Development Centers (SDCs) belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs to identify the beneficiaries and to collaborate in implementing the activities.

250 women (Lebanese & Syrian refugees); were identified in three regions North Lebanon (Tripoli & Akkar), Mount Lebanon (Jbeil & Ghazir) & Beirut.

The selection of beneficiaries took into consideration the following criteria:

  • Personal Information (age, nationality, marital status)
  • Educational background (school level, diplomas, degree if any)
  • Experience background (previous work, years of experience)
  • Their interest in attending food production training sessions (motivation)
  • Knowledge about the training program (general information, topic familiarity)
  • Whether they have aspirations to start a small business (benefit of the training)

From the 250 beneficiaries that were identified, 204 women participated in the training courses offered, which were then divided into 8 groups of 25 beneficiaries, across Lebanon from North to Beirut:

  • Khreibet el Jundi (Akkar): 1 group, 29 women
  • Qoubbeh (Tripoli): 1 group, 23 women
  • Bab Tabbaheh (Tripoli): 2 groups: 49 women
  • Jbeil (Mount Lebanon): 2 groups, 50 women
  • Ghazir (Mount Lebanon): 1 group, 26 women
  • Tariq Jdideh (Beirut): 1 group, 27 women

Each group received 9 training sessions over 9 days as per the following:

  • 2 days: Business Development Services (pricing/marketing/social media)
  • 3 days: Food Safety (GAP/GHP,GMP/HACCP)
  • 4 days: Production (catering/sweet & savory/pastries & dough)

In order to place 170 women in the market, LFPADE and Visionaris established an action plan to define the selection of the SMEs (Small- Medium Enterprises) and monitoring methodologies to ensure the safety of beneficiaries.

The training program provided the beneficiaries the skills to work in restaurants & cafes, bakeries, social kitchens, cooperatives, fairs and exhibitions, oriental sweets shops and industries or factories.

LFPADE and Visionaris were involved in all communication between SMEs and the beneficiary, to ensure the best interest of all parties. The program ran for a period of 2-3 weeks, 5 days per week and for 4 hours a day, rounding it up in total to 50 hours. They also dedicated personnel from their team to be on-field coordinators and perform monitoring visits to different areas, and ensure the smooth implementation of the program, checking attendance, taking pictures and following up with beneficiary and SME owner.

In order to expand the capacity of Khraibet El Jundi’s cooperative, and based on the initial assessment, it was agreed that the coop should move towards a catering business, in addition to producing the two signature products, strawberry jam and rose water Syrup.

The first activity implemented was a training program to increase their capacity in management, production of food items and marketing. The second activity was the acquisition of various essential equipment for the coop to work efficiently.

The cooperative’s members completed all 24 training sessions which included:

  • Management (1 session): highlighting the main activities of the cooperative and its objectives.
  • Human Resources (1 session): in-detail description of the roles and responsibilities of women workers and definition of the coop’s regulations throughout production.
  • Accounting (1 session): highlighting the importance of accounting systems for organizational, financial and data control purposes.
  • Procurement (1 session): selection and evaluation of all purchased material.
  • Food Safety (4 sessions): a systematic approach on all food safety procedures, from raw materials to distribution of the end product, including production control, traceability system, hygiene practices, etc.
  • Food Production (11 sessions): teaching new standard recipes of catering items. It included a wide variety of delicious Lebanese and international specialties for optimal market presence and competition.
  • Marketing (4 sessions): establishing an efficient marketing system that distributes and markets cooperative products and catering services following defined strategies.
  • Branding (1 session): understanding the importance of their products’ image and identity in order to compete with other brands and increase their sales. This session also served as a brainstorming session to discuss the cooperative’s new business model.

The coaching program followed as a continuity of the training program, where women get to apply what they learned. A total of 21 coaching sessions were implemented and they included: Management, HR, Accounting, Procurement, Food Safety, Food production, Marketing, Branding.

Based on Khreibet El Jundi cooperative preliminary assessment report, training activities and outcomes, LFPADE and Visionaris customized 7 informative manuals to cater to the cooperative’s needs, and the nature and type of their activities and operations.

From personalized HR tasks and team skills management to detailed food production information and recipes, these 7 manuals will assist women in facilitating any process for the cooperative in the future.

As a final stage, LFPADE & Visionaris dedicated an amount of 15,000 USD to equip Khreibet Jundi’s cooperative with new kitchen tools and equipment to optimize the workers’ productivity, and food quality.

This project was implemented during a very turbulent & difficult period, as Lebanon was facing multiple crises; however, it was able to achieve its objective and provide the beneficiaries with an opportunity to work and enhance the livelihood of their families.

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International Women’s Day Event 2024

Introduction: On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2024, the Family Organization Association in Lebanon for Sustainable Development, in collaboration with the Municipality of Mansoura and with support from the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, organized an event aimed at enhancing the role of women in political and public life.
Event Details: The event took place on Friday, March 8, 2024, at the Municipality Hall in Mansoura.

Program Highlights: The Municipality of Mansoura extended a warm welcome, explaining the significance of the occasion. This was followed by remarks from representatives of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and the Family Organization Association in Lebanon for Sustainable Development, emphasizing the importance of women’s empowerment and participation in public and political spheres.
A panel discussion ensued focusing on the crucial role of women in public and political life. Dr. Josephine Zghaib moderated the discussion, which featured prominent speakers including Rendala Jabbour. The panelists shared insights and experiences, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for women in various spheres of society.
The International Women’s Day event 2024 served as a platform to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women while emphasizing the ongoing efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in Lebanon. Through engaging discussions and networking opportunities, the event fostered dialogue and collaboration towards achieving sustainable development and inclusive governance.

Recommendations:
1. Continue organizing similar events to promote women’s participation and leadership in political and public life.
2. Strengthen partnerships with local and international organizations to support initiatives aimed at gender equality and women’s empowerment.
3. Encourage the active involvement of women from diverse backgrounds in decision-making processes at all levels of society.
Overall, the event was a success in raising awareness and advocating for gender equality, reaffirming the commitment to advancing women’s rights and opportunities in Lebanon.