Funding partner: SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation)

Duration: 1 year + 6 months extension

Starting date: January 2008

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) joint project, entitled “Enhancing Business Opportunities for a Women Cooperative in South Lebanon”, started in January 2008 and was implemented in Ibel el Saki center (Marjayoun caza, South Lebanon) till July 2009. This enabled Amel Association to further develop its development strategy, through knowledge dissemination and capacity building activities.

The project aimed at contributing in improving livelihood of rural families in South Lebanon.

In this prospect, the project intended to give women from the cooperative in Ebl el Saqi capacities to build and develop income generating activities.

The cooperative was established by Amel Association in 2006, with the support of the Italian NGO Africa 70 and is specialized in producing soaps and essential oils. 320 women and farmers were trained within the framework of this previous project. Unfortunately, the cooperative suffered important material loss and its development was hindered because of the July/August war.

Thanks to this new project, the cooperative was fully reequipped in order to be operational and the production was upgraded in terms of quality and volume. In parallel, 17 cooperative members were trained on subjects related with their respective units.

In parallel and with a view to expand the cooperative activities and build capacities among the local community, 60 farmers were trained on soap and/or essential oils production and a specific partnership between the farmers and the cooperative were established.

The project ended by launching  a campaign composed of a Brochure and a special packaging which has already been designed and printed, highlighted the characteristics of the soap produced.

Amel Association is now in contact with specific structures and organizations to find marketing outlets for its production. Many organizations are now selling the products of Ibel Saqi.