“Mymouneh”: the story of two women pioneers from Lebanon

As part of the activities of its “Be Inspired” leadership program, the Beirut-based Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) organized a meeting with Yumna Gorayyeb and Leila Maaluf, founders of Mymouneh project in 1989 in order to share their story with an audience of girls and highlight the leading role of Lebanese women in society. The two sisters who come from a small village, Ain Al Qabu, standing at the foot of Mount Sannine, spoke about their journey which started in the midst of the Lebanese Civil War in an attempt “to remain useful,” they explained, and gradually the project evolved to include women of their village in income generation. Yumna added that they chose to takeoff with the traditional mooneh since it was not easy then to access other domestic markets for security reasons and the expressed need for mooneh products locally. She also noted that the start-up was made possible thanks to a USD 3000 bank loan. “Mooneh” products were prepared in the house of the Maalufs before the construction a factory which now employs some 18 rural women. To note, the commercial brand, Mymouneh, is presently available in nearly 150 stores across Lebanon in addition to the US, Europe and Middle East markets. The business offers a wide range of natural juices, jams and distilled water products. (L’Orient Le Jour, 17 March 2015)