Dear Friends,
The NGOs in Lebanon have been very much the active government, helping the nation to stand on its feet — helping Lebanon to survive. However we could be equally guilty if our solutions are not with long term vision on ways to preserve dignity and empower the people of our nation. Lebanon at the moment is like a sinking ship with nonstop multiple evolving crises on a weekly if not daily basis. We could either sink deep in depression, the misused “resilient” term or we can aim and look for what we can in our capacity to provide as solutions
Adamant to our vision, “working together to inspire, aspire and sustain a healthy community”, We have helped in the rebuilding of Beirut, in creating jobs, in providing food and shelter, in medical care and general support to the people in Lebanon. We are also working on environmental and sustainable projects to support our community. The challenges are nonstop and for us to remain loyal to our mission and our commitments we had to look at alternative measures to sustain our operation.
We continue to abide by our mission, “to stand with those affected by hardship, providing essential support, empowering talents, and instilling positive change. ” With time, we learned, that there is a thin line between need and greed and hence we added to our mission ”The elimination of need and greed”.
In August 2021, we created a program “Give and Receive”, an engaging “Circular Economy” approach to waste management awarding diverse basic needs from food to clothes, medicine and other in return to home solid waste. To enhance this program we created a Recycling Upcycling “Circular Design” operation. Youth from different schools as well as beneficiaries are invited to attend weekly workshops and learn on ways of turning trash to resources. Products such as outdoor furniture, Home accessories, tote bags, planters and others are now weekly productions. These workshops are aimed to enhance creativity in the youth, create usable practical artistic upcycled products, making them merchandise to help sustain our operation and our services.
The “Give and Receive’’ and Upcycling operation preserve the dignity and empower beneficiaries allowing us at the same time to sustain our operation.
Final products are placed for sale in different shops and we do get commissioned for special orders and design products. Our outdoor furniture has found homes in local homes and pubs. We were even invited to the Victoria & Albert Museum in the UK, to exhibit our products and explain about our “Circular Economy, Circular Design, Give and Receive “program.
2023 will be the fruit of years of learning, commitment and services. An Eco hub, a centralized operation of different environmental and Upcycling operations is in its early stages of implementation. We believe in our vision. We believe in making things happen.
