Post Conflict Support Projects

Psychosocial Support to War Affected Children and Youth

Through funds from the Y Care International, the YMCA of Lebanon is implementing a nine (9) month psychosocial support project to the war affected children and youth in South Lebanon.

The project aims at providing direct support to those most affected from the July 2006 war in order to alleviate their trauma, cherish their incorporation again in the society, and encourage their inclusion as active members in post war reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.

The project is taking place, as of December 2006, in the districts of Tyre, Nabatiyeh, Marjeyoun and Bint Jbeil.

Major activities include:

 

 

  • Student sessions in the classroom to allow for free expression aboutspecific themes related to the war, especially through games, artistic expressions

MSEs Support and Revitalization

The YMCA is undertaking major efforts and activities to support micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in South Lebanon post summer 2006 conflict. Different projects are supported by the UNHCR, the Danish Refugee Council, the World Bank and the Council for Development and Reconstruction, and the Y Care International aim at providing direct assistance to MSEs in the districts of Nabatiyeh, Tyre, Bint Jbeil, Marjeyoun and Baalbeck.

Beneficiaries include women owned and managed agricultural cooperatives specialized in food processing and farming, MSEs specialized in construction, rehabilitation and related activities works such as plumbing, sanitation, electrical networking, tiling… and agricultural extension centers specialized in providing agricultural services to farmers.

Support to these MSEs includes rehabilitation of premises and damaged facilities, provision of equipment, tools and machinery, assistance in resuming income generating productive activities and training activities to boost productivity and efficiency.

The targeted beneficiaries include 194 women in 14 cooperatives (food processing centers and production farms), 41 MSEs (159 workers) in the construction field and three (3) agricultural extension centers.

Vocational Training

The YMCA is implementing a vocational training project over a three month period starting April 2007, through funds from OFDA-Habitat for Humanity International.

The project is taking place in the Southern clusters of Qana and Aytaroun and aims at providing young men with necessary skills and tools to join the labor force in the construction/rehabilitation field. As such, 42 young men are benefiting for extensive accelerated training in the fields of sanitation and electrical networking. The trainees will benefit also from tools, equipment and basic machinery which will allow them to join the labor force, ready and equipped, immediately after the training session. The whole project aims at increasing the number of skilled labor that can assist in the massive wave of reconstruction after the summer 2006 war.

Micro-entrepreneurship Awards 2006

Project Objective:
The objective of the Citigroup supported Micro-entrepreneurship Awards 2006 (CMA) project is to illustrate and promote the effective role that microfinance plays in poverty alleviation around the world.  In particular, the project seeks to generate recognition for the extraordinary contributions that individual microentrepreneurs have made to the economic sustainability of their families as well as their communities in 24 countries.  The project started in May 2006 but was put on hold due to the misfortunate events of the July war 2006. The project was resumed in February 2007 however its structure and goals were modified. The project is no longer a competition to reward the best Lebanese microentrepreneurs but a chance to assist the damaged Lebanese microentrepreneurs in getting their feet back on the ground.

The YMCA of Lebanon was entrusted by citigroup to implement the project for the years 2005 and 2006 and is preparing for a new round in 2007.
All Microfinance institutions are encouraged to nominate their clients who have exhibited excellence in areas such as loan repayment, business growth, employment growth, impact on the community and who suffered from war damages.

37 winners were awarded on the 29th of March 2007 at CMA Awards ceremony organized at Metropolitan Palace Hotel and attended by Mr. Marwan Michael, the delegate of the minister of Economy and trade, Citigroup, YMCA, representatives from the Lebanese National Bank, MFIs and the winners.

Awards:
The total amount of grants for this year was 82,500,000 L.L (55,000 $US) distributed as follows:

 

©2006 YMCA Lebanon