News updates

The Lebanese Association for Development (Al Majmoua), released this week in Beirut, and in partnership with Cheri Blair Foundation, a joint statement addressing problems preventing women entrepreneurs from gaining access to the business market. Al Majmoua also announced the completion of its Development of Women’s Projects in Lebanon Program that trained over 364 business women on how to set up profitable and sustainable businesses. L’Orient Le Jour highlighted in its issue of today the success story of one of  the beneficiaries, Mona Hashem, who has forged a room inside her husband’s office to manufacture soap after completing training courses on marketing and communication with banking institutions. In this respect, Nada Yared, the executive Director of the UN Economic Committee for Europe ECE, described Hashem as a role model of the working woman in the informal sector. Yared noted that the principle recommendations set by a report centers around the facilitation of women entrepreneurs’ access to markets, and therefore merging women in the formal economy. Recommendations were particularly based on ECE date which indicated that as high as three quarters of Lebanese women work in the informal sector compared to the lower Work Bank figures which showed that only one out of four women in Lebanon is a working woman. Yared also pointed out to various difficulties facing women who wish to set up their own businesses, namely, the high cost of business registration (USD 2000-3000) and the cultural hurdles such as the requirement that a male sponsor (husband or brother) supports the application for a bank loan. In this vein, Maya Younes, from BLC Bank, indicated that her bank in collaboration with Al Majmoua is providing up to USD 20 thousand in personal business loans with no collateral required. (L’Orient Le Jour, September 17, 2015)

 

The southern town of Abra village, located east of Saida, held a festival of olives to celebrate the closure of a landfill which was smartly transformed into an olive orchard. The event, sponsored and supported by the European Union, included an exhibition of agricultural goods, mainly olives, olive oil and the traditional mooneh, in addition to stalls for handicrafts and artisan products. During the festival Abra was formally declared as one of ten towns falling under the fair trade network for the marketing of rural products. Among associations partaking in the exhibition, were the Social Movement Association, the Women’s Cooperative in Abra and the Fair Trade Towns Committee. During the opening ceremony, Abra Mayor, Walid Mshantaf, maintained that the activity reflects the young generation’s steadfastness to their land. Concerning the eco-tourist project currently implemented by the municipality under the patronage of the Catholic Patriarchate, Mshantaf noted that nearly 300 thousand square meters were planted with some 7500 olives trees. (Daily Star, An Nahar, September 13 & 17, 2015)

 

The Agence Universitaire pour la Francophonie (UAF) and Berytech announced the holding of its fourth competition for Francophone women entrepreneurs. The competition seeks to raise the visibility of Francophone women entrepreneurs who have proved themselves in the field of business. Hervé Sabourin, the director of the regional office of the Organisation Universitaire pour la Francophonie, announced that 20000 Euros have been allocated for this competition which is based on the three principles of the organisation namely women, business and Francophone.  Nathalie Bitar, the project manager at the association noted that the project to be submitted may be an idea or an emerging companies which is no more than three years old. The head of the media and PR sector in Berytech, Chrystel Khalil, presented the stages followed in this competition which includes several sectors notably food and nutrition (23%), social sciences (40%), education (20%), and environmental sciences (17%).  She also presented a number of successful projects namely that of last year's winner, Rita Zoghayb, who was able to set up a centre in Ain Dara to provide support to pregnant women. (Al Nahar, September 16th 2015)

 

Innovation for micro financing and Vitas companies, two companies which are pioneers in providing micro credit and financial assistance to poor families and micro business holders, launched last week in collaboration with Gulf company “Silatech” for business pioneer and vocational support, two new loan products designed solely to help young business people start up and develop their businesses in Lebanon. According to the Director General of Innovation in Lebanon, Ibrahim Kouwatly, the two new loans are for young people who do not have a bank account and who want to start their own business especially since, according to the World Bank, 24% of youth cannot have access to loans whereas the global average is 12%.

In addition to providing young people with capital, Innovation and Vitas will provide training and financial education to help young business entrepreneurs develop and expand their businesses.  "My Project" loan offered by Innovation has already started offering 10000 USP loans since September 2nd.Vitas is offering 5000 USD loans since September 7th according to Carla Chamoun Azar, the Loans Director in Vitas. In the same vain, Alia Far7hat from Al Majmoua who spoke to L'Orient le Jour, confirmed and based on a study conducted by her organisation, that young people seeking to set up their own project face two key challenges namely access to financing and lack of project management skills. ( L'Orient le Jour, September 11, 2015)

 

As part of the Agriculture Ministry’s ongoing food safety campaign, Minister Akram Chehayeb issued a warning yesterday to Conserves Modernes Chtaura to immediately stop production of its grain line (chickpeas, foul and mixed beans) and pull out the defective products from domestic markets. In his notice, Chehayeb threatened the non-complying company with additional disciplinary procedures, including the complete cessation of the manufacturing plants and passing on the case to competent judicial circles. Likewise, the Ministry of Health issued its weekly report on compliance with food safety regulations covering the period from September 3-10. For more information, visit the following link: http://assafir.com/Article/8/444310. (As Safir, Al Mustaqbal, September 12 & 15, 2015)

 

The Local Economic Development Agency in the North (LEDA), in collaboration with the Social Affairs Ministry, UNDP and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Tripoli and North Lebanon, organized last Thursday a graduation ceremony for some 100 young women and men who completed a series of workshops which were organised in Akkar as part of the youth economic empowerment project and implemented in the framework of the Lebanon Host Communities Support Project LHSP. During the ceremony, Simone Bashawati representing LEDA in the north described the initiative as “a wave of bright dreams brought about by a strong and genuine partnership between project sponsors and supporters.” Similarly, Suheir Ghali, speaking for the Ministry of Social Affairs indicated that the project “aims to strengthen stability and boost development in line with the existing programs in the various relevant ministries.” The UNDP representative, Luka Randa, noted for his part that vocational training was not the objective, but the mean for “achieving professional and economic integration of youth.” Randa added that the project which was implemented though the funding of 14 productive initiatives focused on five sectors namely: landscaping, garden and flower maintenance; cheeses and dairy production; hospitality; phone cellular maintenance; and administrative assistance.

Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, September 11 and 14, 2015

 

The general manager of the Lebanese owned Hospitality Services, Horeca, Jumana Dammus Salameh announced that the trademark is regionally expanding its Horeca food exhibitions into three new Arab capitals besides Beirut. Salameh described the Horeca Food Exhibitions as the largest annual event for the hospitality, food and beverage service sector in the Middle East, pointing to the continuing positive response the company has received among industry experts since it kicked off in Beirut some 22 years ago, thus enabling it to expand to Kuwait, Riyadh and last year to Jordan. Salameh disclosed that Horeca have attracted nearly 550 participants/exhibitors and 38 thousand international professionals, while stressing the importance of these exhibitions in showcasing local food and hospitality industries and in sharing expertise. (Al Mustaqbal, September 11, 2015)

 

A new rural tourism project was launched last August 31 in the Barouk-Fraidis Chuf area, with financial help from USAID-funded Building Alliance for Local Advancement, Development and Investment, (BALADI program). The BALADI program has financially contributed to the project which was implemented by Rene Mouwad Foundation, in partnership with the municipality of Barouk-Fraidis and the Chuf Biosphere Reserve, some US$171 thousand to assist the municipality and the local community in the construction of 19 kilometers of long hiking trails traversing 13 historic sites, the rehabilitation and equipping of Rashid Nakhle Cultural Center and the cultural and touristic information center, as wee as the organisation of the area’s first annual festival.

During the opening ceremony, USAID director in Lebanon, Caroline Bryan, underlined the vitality of rural tourism in promoting and activating the tourism sector in the country. For his part, Tourism Minister, Michel Pharaon, expressed his hope that such undertakings will support his endeavor to develop the rural tourism plan, and commended all municipalities and private institutions for cooperating with the ministry to make the present festival season across Lebanon a success. )An Nahar, September 11, 2015(

 

The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training LOST in collaboration with the US Mennonite Central Committee MCC launched the ‘food security’ project aimed at improving nutrition standards of the disadvantaged Lebanese and Syrian households residing in the North Beqaa region. The initiative seeks to create livelihoods generated from agriculture, to promote social integration and adaptation with the aggravated situation in the area. In this respect, LOST project manager, Omar Bayan pointed out that some 60 deprived families will benefit from the program during a period of three years through provision of cattle and livestock as well as the training of women on milk production and marketing techniques. Elaborating on the implementation of the project, he explained that the targeted families will be selected from the areas of Baalbaq, Bidnael, Al Ain and Hermel based on the following criteria: being Lebanese; most disadvantaged and needy; five and above family members; have children under 5 years old; provide a room or space for breeding livestock, and finally, that the women in the family pledge to keep and care for the sheep and lambs and attend relevant training workshops. Bayan also disclosed that 30% of women beneficiaries from training sessions will be Syrian refugees. (Al Mustaqbal, September 11, 2015)