18-10-2023 | di COOPI

Lebanon. Temporary employment opportunities that enhance environmental management

On October 17, 2023, we celebrated the closing event of the project ''Rehabilitation of Tripoli's socio-economic fabric: an integrated approach of cash for work, environment and municipal support'' funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, AICS, in Lebanon.

With the aim of increasing the income in the short term of the population most affected by the economic crisis, while improving the provision of environmental management and relations with civil society organizations, 397 participants of Lebanese and Syrian origin, including 177 women and 32 with special needs found temporary employment in different neighborhoods in the Tripoli area. The activities took place from May 29 to the end of September and had 3 different purposes.

The main employment opportunity concerned the rehabilitation of 2 public gardens in the Abou Samra neighborhood of Tripoli, for a total of 234 project beneficiaries. Play areas for children were built within the gardens, as well as spaces for adults through the provision of chess and backgammon, with picnic areas, benches and sidewalks for all citizens. Furthermore, solar panels were installed for lighting.

The second activity involved street cleaning and door-to-door recyclable waste collection, providing employment opportunities for 163 beneficiaries, 90 percent of whom were women. Recycling was carried out in cooperation with the local social enterprise Green Track, which provides employment for the most vulnerable and contributes to the improvement of waste management, sanitation, environmental friendliness and quality of life of the local population.

Finally, during the work period, the project promoted a social protection component. Indeed, all beneficiaries were able to participate in counseling and awareness sessions on the following topics: child rights and child labor; positive parenting; gender-based violence; addictions; and mental health.

A crucial part of the project has been the selection of beneficiaries in order to ensure temporary and decent employment opportunities for the most vulnerable people in Tripoli's Abou Samra neighborhood, one of the most affected by the crisis resulting from the Syrian war in 2021.

COOPI-Cooperazione Internazionale has been active in Lebanon since 2013 alongside Syrian refugees and host communities, especially women and children. COOPI's activities are aimed at child protection, improving sanitation and the socio-economic situation of the population. Currently implementing two Cash for Work projects in Tripoli Municipalities and Akkar District in northern Lebanon, COOPI is supporting more than 1,000 men and women in vulnerable conditions, half of whom are Syrian refugees.