News updates

Al Arabi al Jadid newspaper published a report about Faten Meeari, a Palestinian fashion designer living in Ain el Helweh and who modernizes Palestinian stitching design by introducing it to contemporary clothes. Meeari started her career by designing modern clothes.  However, ten years later she started working on traditional Palestinian stitched clothes and transformed them into modern outfits.  A year and a half ago, she succeeded in her experiment and introduced Palestinian stitching to shirts, pullovers, and handbags with a view to marketing Palestinian heritage to the youth.  Meeari said that modernization is not at the level of the stitches because these represent Palestinian heritage and tradition.  Modernization, she adds, is at the level of design only adding that she had this idea because she noticed that young people are not likely to wear the traditionally stitched Palestinian caftans.
Faten works at home where she designs her models including wedding dresses.  Most of her clients come from outside Ain el Helweh camp as her designs are too expensive for camp residents.  According to her, the high cost of her products is largely due to the cost of stitching as every 2500 stitches use 1 special yarn of stitching threads, adding that one dress normally will include 10000 stitches and will require 15 days of manual embroidery work.

Source: Al-Araby Al-Jadid 13 September 2014

Al Mustaqbal newspaper published a report on the dairy sector in Lebanon within its weekly section featuring the United Nations and its work in Lebanon and the region.  The report describes two projects initiated after the July 2006 war and which aim at rehabilitating the dairy sector in Lebanon through the provision of special support to small farmers in the Beqaa, Hermel and Akkar and which are implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and with funding from Lebanon Recovery Fund.

The report noted that the dairy sector is a key source of livelihoods for rural families in North Lebanon and the Beqaa which both account for 70% of milking cows in Lebanon. A FAO survey carried out in 2011 indicated that 70% of dairy farmers are poor and even destitute.  According to the newspaper report, production was harshly affected by the 2006 Israeli war and small dairy farmers had to discontinue their production whilst the number of milking cows fell drastically.  In the Beqaa for instance, the total number of milking cows dropped from 25000 to 18000 cows according to sources of the Ministry of Agriculture.

One of the two projects described in the report targeted 300 women heads of households as well as rural women cooperatives that were granted dairy processing equipments that can be used at home.  The other project also created 40 units to stock and to refrigerate dairy products which are accessible to a large number of villages.  Milk producers were also provided with other equipments to allow them to process, test and store dairy thus allowing farmers to produce economically and to strengthening their bargaining power while negotiating sales prices.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 17 September 2014

Ms. Yvonne Cochrane from Lebanon was selected as one of the four recipients of the annual Elissa award in recognition of her efforts to preserve Lebanese heritage.  All four laureates were also recognized for their influential work in the Mediterranean area which aimed at encouraging women to go into business and to excel in various sectors.  The laureates included Rodi Kratsa from Greece who played a role in strengthening women’s role in the Mediterranean region, Cheriffa Khaddar from Algeria for her efforts in combating violence against women and Suheir Belhassen from Tunisia for her work in upholding human rights.  The awards will be handed in Greece during a celebration which will be held at the Acropolis on Sunday 12 October 2014.
To be noted that the Elissa award was launched on 25 June 2014 by the Tyre Institution and in partnership with MED 21 programme and Didon Gold Award of Carthage, with the aim of strengthening equality and equal opportunities as well as strengthening women’s role in the Mediterranean basin.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 17 September 2014

The Ministry of Agriculture organized yesterday in collaboration with the European Union and the Women’s Affair Association WAA a seminar entitled “Small loans for farmers and the Tree Loan”.  The event was held yesterday in Nabatieh with the participation of Ministry representative from the Nabatieh bureau as well as concerned and interested individuals.  The representative of the European Union, Hassan Hoteit, gave a presentation on how farmers should design their projects to benefit from existing loans, while the representative of the BLC Bank, Elie Baroudi, presented the various credit facilities that the bank has made available for farmers.

Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Safir 17 September 2014

An Nahar newspaper published a report about Akkar-grown apples which is now being harvested by the local farmers.  The report dwells on the hopes of the apple farmers regarding the role of the Ministries of Agriculture as well as Economy and Trade in helping to secure internal and external markets for their production which meets international standards. The report noted that apple production in Akkar constitutes 50% of the total production in the country.  In addition, some 3000 families in Akkar heavily depend for livelihood on their fruit harvests and especially on apples.  The report also shared the concerns expressed by farmers regarding the delay in selling their production to local traders who are arguing that the internal market is unable to absorb this year production.  This situation can lead to a sharp fall in prices to below the production costs which are particularly high because of high prices of pesticides, fertilizers, and labor.  The farmers hope that official efforts will be extended to market their apples in Egypt and Russia and that clear mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that farmers receive fair prices before the winter season.

Source: Al-Nahar 16 September 2014

After a two-month delay, the Minister of Economy and Trade (MoET) issued a decision yesterday to start collecting the wheat production for this year.  This decision follows a number of protests by farmers who called on the government to speed up the process and cut down on the high costs of warehousing.  According to As Safir newspaper, the Ministry of Economy and Trade will start opening its warehouses of LARI in Tell Amara as of next week to receive the harvest of hundreds of wheat farmers. The Minister’s decision has already been sent to the treasury and financial allocations have been made to settle for wheat procurements from farmers and to pay compensations for damages caused by bad weather at a rate of LBP 50,000 per damaged dunnum of land.  The wheat farmers in the Beqaa noted during their meeting held after the Ministry’s decision that they hoped the process of receiving wheat and paying compensations will be swift.

Source: Al-Safir 16 September 2014

A joint European-Arab-Lebanese delegation toured the Caza of Nabatyeh within the framework of an action entitled “know to love” and which is organized by the “Together e rebuild” association as well as other NGOs and in collaboration with the Federation of the Jabal el Sheikh municipalities.  The visit extended over three days and kicked off with a tour to the Kfermeshki agricultural valley where the delegation got to know the products of this area including its orchards and vineyards in coordination with the local economic and development agency in the Bekaa.  The delegation then visited Ayta el Fakhar including its touristic and historical landmarks and then moved to Mdookha where the Federation of Municipalities of Al Kalaa had prepared a celebration dinner.  The delegation also organized a march in solidarity with the army and the internal security forces and walked towards East Rashya and then into the Rashaya – Chebaa road which is adjacent to Mount Hermon.  The delegation was escorted by the security forces until it reached the village of Ayn Atta where the Municpality had organized a lunch prepared by the women members of the Ayn Attah rural women cooperatives.  Lunch was followed a visit to historical landmarks of the village.  The group then pursued its journey to Ain Harsha and then Beyt Lahya.  The tour ended with a village dinner in the village of Bekkifa followed by a cultural evening.
Father Marun Atallah noted that the visit aims at introducing foreigners to the real face of Lebanon, its hospitality, convivial living and goodness.  The general secretary of the Lebanese cultural hostels, Shawki Dallal, noted that the importance of this visit is in introducing the visitors to the history and landmarks of Wadi Taym, as well as create spaces for encounters between the Eastern and Western cultures.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 15 September 2014

The Amshit Municipality inaugurated last week the exhibition which it organised in cooperation with the Valeurs d'Orient association under the slogan of “our heritage forever”.  The event which is located at the Michel Suleiman Avenue in Amshit is hosting 91 exhibitors from all parts of Lebanon.
The president of the association, Rita Zakhia, said in her opening address that the exhibition is not an ordinary event as it seeks to preserve the endangered Lebanese heritage.  She also underscored the participation of social institutions as well as people with special needs in the event so as to strengthen social integration and cohesions.  The head of the Amchit municipality, Dr. Antoine Issa, highlighted the sacrifices of the Lebanese army, adding that the message of the exhibition is “our heritage will continue forever”.  He strongly emphasized the determination of people to hang on to their heritage and values and not to abandon their identity and oriental human values.

Source: Al-Diyar 15 September 2014

The Future Movement coordination in Akkar organized an event to commemorate the graduation of 20 women who took part in its ICT training for beginners.  The event was held last week with the participation of the general coordinator and president of the federation of municipalities in As Sahel, Issam Abdel Kader and the head of the Tel Hayat municipality, Khaled al Khaled, in addition to other members of the Future Movement. In his speech, Abdel Kader emphasized the importance of such training stating that women in Akkar are now equal to men in accessing education, universities as well as the job market.  He reiterated that the Future Movement will organize addition training to raise the skills of women in Akkar, adding that women’s empowerment is the first step towards community development.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 15 September 2014

Ar Rahmah Centre for community services concluded last week its vocational training workshops targeting Syrian displaced women and which were implemented in collaboration with the Al-Ree3aya association.  The workshops, which extended over 6 months and targeted some 40 women, included training in several skills such as accounting, hairdressing and make-up.
The distribution of certificates to graduates was carried out under the auspices of the president of the federation of relief organizations in Saida and South Lebanon. Kamel Kazbar, who emphasized in his speech the importance of education and vocational training and their positive impact in allowing individuals to find jobs which would secure livelihoods.  This, he added, will reflect positively on society as it will improve living conditions and will alleviate material and psychological stress.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 15 September 2014