PROGRAMS

AFAC is a developmental project by OUSANED that encourages peaceful living amid individuals and communities, support public entities to provide services of decent quality for their inhabitants while enhancing their capacities to provide health, education, water, sanitation and reduce the unfavorable

influence of refugees on local communities and economies. In addition to addressing the unemployment concerns by specific interventions via providing skills enhancement, trainings and assisting in finding suitable employments and adequate project developemnts.

AFAC’s Developmental Project Objectives:

• To work for uplifting poor/rural villages for their overall development.
• To Provide the community life- supporting skills base (ie handicrafts ...)
• To mentor and provide guidance to the youth.
• To conduct study on various social issues, gather data, and carry out research to identify the needs of the municipalities.
• To render Social, Educational and Economic Empowerment for the betterment of the community.

Providing support for understaffed municipalities, by identifying their villages’ needs, providing the needed business plans and feasibilities for projects, and relate with local and International Donors for the execution and or implementation of said projects.

In one hand, projects designed to increase overall competitiveness of specific sectors, such as tourism and agriculture could provide an essential contribution to economic resilience. Nonetheless, both sectors are plagued by inefficiency, lack of supporting infrastructure, and an overall development plan. Baladyati will support municipal projects in these sectors by building competitiveness, expanding markets and enhancing overall quality.

On the other hand, the lack of recreational activities and venues that target vulnerable children has been identified as one of the contributing factors of social tension and future social ailments. Baladyati conducts projects that support local community and social centers needed to maintain social stability, increase local resilience and redirect young people’s energies into more productive pursuits like soccer fields, swimming pools, a small library, parks for children and youth, and other facilities.

Such investments are viewed as part of a long-term mitigation strategy against street crime and traffic accidents. Nonetheless, these projects are also seen as possible rapid employment initiatives, which could create extra jobs and good will among Lebanese whose community would benefit from public works and new facilities.

Providing economic support to rural citizens and specifically women and handicaps by giving them raw materials necessary for the implementation of handicrafts and providing opportunities for marketing through different channels. We also offer them financial support through small loans for the implementation of other income-generating activities.

Private sector development in the municipalities can generate numerous employemnts opportunities ie: Handicrafts, foodstuff, woodcrafts, basketry, textiles (crochet, carpets and embroidery), weaving, pottery, soap production, cutlery, glass blowing, mosaic ...

In Lebanon there is currently no or shy active programs to maintain cultural heritage through attention to the handicraft sector. The majority of producers are not able to use crafts as their main source of income

The largest challenge facing handicraft producers is a lack of marketing and retail opportunities for products. Without targeted promotion and marketing strategies, handicrafts cannot compete with mass produced commercial products, or cheaper replicas from neighboring countries.

Lebanon has a deep and rich tradition of craft production and through both targeted and broad interventions Al Mouhtarif has the opportunity to promote the cultural heritage of the country and increase the net revenue of producers.

Overall the craft industry within Lebanon needs help in establishing a known brand, marketing their products, and opening new retail opportunities.

Interventions in this sector are focused on value-added elements and end-market opportunities. Al Mouhtarif has identified six overarching strategies and interventions for the Handicraft market.

• Establish a trusted database of Lebanese craftspeople and the retail outlets supporting them.
• Assist craftspeople in the marketing and packaging of products, and help establish new regional and international retail opportunities.
• Establish a strong connection with tourism operators
• Provide overall training to craftspeople on design upgrading, finishing elements, and financial management.
• Support Lebanon’s craft fairs and exhibitions and encourage craftspeople to attend regional and international exhibitions. In addition to broad sector strategies each craft has a unique set of challenges that can be addressed through targeted interventions.

Creating an enlightened society in which senior citizens feel secure, confident and valued, and can live with dignity while attending to the needs of the elderly whose social support systems have weakened or are non-existent.

Providing training and education to reconstruct the fragile illiterate community and or poorly educated youth to help them have jobs, integrate in the community and be self-financed.

Tamkeen implements specific training programs to meet market demands and it will remain agile to adjust its programs and curriculum accordingly to maintain sustained improvements in job outcome results.

The overall solution to job challenges in Lebanon cannot be fixed solely by addressing skills gaps and providing skills training as it will not, on its own, be sufficient to close the jobs gap. The problem’s scale necessitates to bring the supply and demand sides of the market into more effective partnerships in order to close the skills gaps and open up new opportunities for job creation. Daymouma undertakes, with a keen sense, to link these workforce with the relevant companies to ensure their employment.

The Lebanese labor market has not been immune to the repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis. The Lebanese state and the private sector have, in general, been incapable of creating jobs. But the increasing gravity of the situation following the influx of displaced people has made job creation a key concern in relation to dealing with challenges resulting from the crisis

Daymouma will prioritize, with the participation of the Ministry of Labor, job creation and building capacities to facilitate the entry of Lebanese workers into the labor market.

Masterjobs went on tours around the governorates for 6 consecutive months where Recruitment Open Days were held. Candidates were invited to submit their CVs, fill applications and go through an interview with a recruitment team.

The ultimate goal of the Program:

• Aiding Lebanese people find suitable jobs without having to relocate to other regions
• Aiding employers throughout Lebanon to make quality hires with no or minimal cost
• Reducing unemployment rate
• Mitigating the repercussions of the Syrian influx on the Lebanese community
• Minimizing Brain drain
• Minimizing corruption