November has been an eventful month for us and five of our Lebanese organisation partners who helped us bring to life an array of local community projects. From Tal Hayat and Deir el Ahmar,to Qaroun and Tripoli,our initiatives engaged Lebanon’s local communities and promoted inclusivity and unity.
As part of our collaboration with the Lebanon Foundation of Permanent Civil Peace (LFPCP) in Tripoli,our local ambassadorship programme hosted a fair on 4 November. The programme had selected local artists to train on digital marketing so they become ambassadors for Tripoli. The ambassadors presented their artistic products,crafts,and small businesses at the fair. Local NGOs and scout organisations also presented their work.
In Deir el Ahmar,we partnered with the Smart Municipality Academy to launch a website (www.umdear.com) that promotes positive interaction and communication between citizens,civil society organisations,and local authorities. The project came to fruition at our launch event on 5 November with the region’s nine municipalities and three NGOs registered. Local MP Tony Habchi and the region’s mayors and union of municipalities joined the kick-off.
As the month drew to a close, 13 NGOs registered on the website,including Caritas,and local civil society organisations,such as the Red Cross,as well as the Lebanese Civil Defence. Over 329 users from Lebanon and the diaspora in UAE,France,USA,KSA,Canada,Finland,Germany,Italy,and Qatar registered their accounts. Using the account,they can follow up on their municipalities’ current projects,declarations,and memos and even voice their conces.
With the Akkar Network for Development,we wrapped up two activities in Tal Hayat and Hrar. In Tal Hayat,we completed the farmer mapping programme after collecting data for 600 farmers in the targeted area. The project’s young ambassadors,who attended a capacity-sharing workshop on public speaking in October,successfully referred 20 farmers to start their registration process with the Ministry of Agriculture.
In Hrar,20 young participants attended a fourth and final capacity-sharing session on public speaking. On 6 November,we held public debates featuring the region’s current municipal officials and candidates. The projects helped young citizens to engage in their region’s public life and enhanced their sense of accountability.
Meanwhile,we continued our partnership with Tamadon to ensure equitable access to water resources in Kfarchouba. However,considering the challenging security situation on the southe Lebanese border,we had to halt our door-to-door visits. Tamadon remains committed to advocating for access to healthy water for everyone as soon as the security situation improves.
On 10 November,we launched an inclusive climate park with Sustain The World for the winning team’s project,Eco Access Lea Hub,in Qaraoun. We installed a solar tent in the Qaroun football park that will ensure accessibility for people with disabilities to engage in sports and educational activities. Along with the mayor and head union of municipalities Yehia Daher and Qaraoun’s cultural centre,we also completed a tree planting activity. Hand-in-hand,the project symbolised unity and inclusivity within the local community.