Stories from the Field

The “Farm to School program brings healthy food from local farms to thousands of poor school-aged children in low-income remote villages. Moreover, the program teaches students about healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. In addition, the use of local products in school meals and educational activities provides a new direct market for local low-income farmers. It also provides local women with temporary jobs in food preparation,” explained Abdo Raad — the director of Saint Saveur School and Orphanage. The school, located in the city of Joun, south of Lebanon is home to 70 orphans and vulnerable children and hosts 150 school children.

“It is a win-win situation for everyone,” he concluded during the inauguration ceremony of the kitchen supported by the German Embassy in Lebanon, as well as the opening of the third Lebanese-Palestinian youth summer camp which hosts Palestinian youth from camps in Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories.

“We thank HCI for this important initiative which is vital for the revival of low-income remote areas,” commented H.E.M Brigitta Eberly, the German Ambassador to Lebanon who attended the ceremony.

The German Embassy in Lebanon contributed over $16,000 to equip the kitchen at the premises of the school/orphanage which will help HCI’s Farm to School project expand its scale and scope to reach out to other schools and orphanages in nearby villages, which is expected to benefit more than 700 children during the summer of 2009.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by H.E. Mrs. Bahia Hariri, Minister of Education and Higher Education and H.E. Mr. Mario Aoun, Minister for Social Affairs.

“Cause and Identity” is the theme of this year’s Lebanese-Palestinian youth summer camp which coincides with the celebration of Jerusalem as the 2009 Arab Capital of Culture. The 40 Lebanese and Palestinian youth come from different regions in Lebanon and from Palestinian camps in Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories.

“Building bridges and trust and creating a platform for dialogue and sharing among Lebanese and Palestinian youth is the main objective of this summer camp,” H.E. Mrs. Hariri, the President of the Hariri Foundation for Human Sustainable Development (HFHSD), explained during a discussion with the participants. HFHSD is sponsoring of the summer camp.

The Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education has been actively working in the past two years on integrating health and wellbeing topics into the Lebanese school curriculum, especially for elementary school students. “HCI’s successful Farm to School project which promotes healthy eating habits for school-aged children is a significant initiative that the Ministry of Education should consider adopting to improve student health,” suggested, Rabih Yazbeck, HCI’s Regional Director, during a conversation with the participants. “We hope that the summer camp’s attendees will benefit from our initiative, and take what they’ve learned back to their families and help bring awareness in their surrounding environment,” Mr. Yazbeck concluded.

The Farm to School Project was launched this March in two regions in Lebanon. To this date, thousands of school-aged children have learned about the path from farm to fork and healthy eating habits.

The program desires to support community-based food systems, strengthen family farms, and provide jobs for vulnerable women and nutrition for poor students hence contributing towards their health and well-being.

The family farm owners will have a chance of securing a steady income, the students will be motivated to get an education, and the unemployed women will have the opportunity of working and generating income. These benefits are not limited to economy and education, but also affect the overall morale of the residents.

On the long-term, the program will introduce waste management programs like composting, and experiential education opportunities such as planting school gardens, cooking demonstrations and farm tours.

What we are witnessing here are the combined efforts of the public and private sectors, and the civil society, local and international. These initiatives transcend all national, religious, and racial differences and have one aim in mind, the well-being of our children and families. At the end, humanity is the bridge that connects us all, and it lies ahead in anticipation of the courageous many who will attempt to cross it.

At a time when Nobel Peace Laureate, Mairead Maguire, and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney are detained for attempting to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza, at a time when toys, food and medical supplies are lingering elusively at the gates of the city, and the imposed blockade continues to exacerbate millions of lives, the residents of Gaza continue to live their daily tragedy in silence, in face of a world that has grown weary and apathetic to their cause.

The malaise following the December war continues to haunt millions of people, who have become desperately poverty-stricken. Devastated homes and neighbourhoods have become typical scenery, scarcity of food common, unemployment the norm, and increased rates of disease an inevitably which even if curable, lacks the necessary medical supplies and treatment.

Gaza has become synonymous with wars, destruction, and poverty. No wonder only a few are aware of the rich history and culture buried beneath decades and centuries of rubble so eloquently detailed in “Life at the Crossroads: A History of Gaza” by Gerald Butt recently re-published in 2009.

It has not been an easy task for HCI to reach out to the residents of Gaza. HCI’s resources and effort this year have been dedicated to this challenging task. The arduous journey however, has been rewarding and possible due to the perseverance of our team and supporting partners both in Gaza and the West Bank. Most recently a developmental initiative has been launched in support of families suffering from the now ubiquitous food-shortage and unemployment.

OFFERING CAPABILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES

After extensive research and inquiry, and in spirit of HCI’s aim to offer sustainable developmental solutions, poultry keeping presented a feasible and manageable project, one that also plays an important socio-cultural role in Gaza. Poultry keeping makes use of family labour, mainly women, who are major beneficiaries.

The Agricultural Support for Smallholder Farmers and Food-Insecure Households initiative is currently assisting families in setting up small poultry-keeping businesses. Areas and direct beneficiaries have been screened and selected by HCI and its local partners, the Aid and Hope Centre for the Care of Cancer Patients and the Vocational Rehabilitation Workshops Society for Girls NGO. The designate areas comprising most of Gaza, share the same characteristics: elevated poverty, gravely affected by the war, high unemployment rate especially among the women population and finally suitable environmental and physical conditions for backyard production.

Each of the beneficiary families is provided with a flock consisting of approximately 100 birds. These flocks are managed by the individual farm families in order to secure food, income, and provide a form of employment mainly for women. Each farm family is provided with the necessary equipment, livestock and technical assistance required to implement the project. In addition, a local team of semi-volunteers consisting of veterinarians and agricultural engineers has been formed to assist in the distribution of livestock, equipments, technical assistance and follow up to ensure the success and sustainability of the individual businesses.

For many of these families, the poultry business is the sole means of livelihood, contributing to the overall well-being of these food-insecure households.

The small business also presents one of few opportunities for low-income, food-deficient families to save and invest, hence securing them from many unforeseeable risks. In addition to being a major income-generating activity (the sales of birds and eggs), the occasional consumption of either meat or eggs provides a valuable source of protein necessary for a healthy and nutritious diet which is generally lacking.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERTISE: THE TRAINING

Representatives from each family were invited to attend the training workshop for the Agricultural Support for Smallholder Farmers and Food-Insecure Households initiative that took place in Gaza. The training was a prerequisite for running the poultry business.

The purpose of the workshop was to familiarize the prospective business owners with the technical, medical, and managerial skills necessary to run and sustain a poultry-keeping business. The training underlined the importance of development as an alternative to aid. In addition, it was intended to help the trainees, particularly women, acquire the knowledge and expertise needed in setting up small businesses.

IN DEPTH: THE LIVES OF THREE GAZAN FAMILIES

“Living below the poverty line”, is a phrase no longer representative of the reality it once aimed to depict. It is insufficient, impersonal and ambiguous–a statement that generates nothing more than statistical controversy nowadays. Unfortunately the reality itself remains–uncontroversial and unaltered. Hunger and unemployment continue to govern the lives of millions in Gaza.

The story of three families in particular comes to us as a reminder of the true meaning of war and sanctions, of their repercussions, suffered by none other than innocent children and families who alone bear the brunt of conflict, destruction, poverty, hunger, and disease.

HOPE IN DESPAIR: THE MOBAEED FAMILY

Poverty is not merely a state of deprivation. It is a process that compels those implicated to redefine their priorities. In such cases of extreme poverty, nourishment and shelter take precedent while health and general well-being very rarely are considered. Sometimes however, the perpetual stress of survival takes its toll, exacerbated only by negligence and lack of awareness.

Last March, 37 year-old Nidhal Al-Mobaeed, mother to seven children, stumbled upon representatives from the Aid and Hope Centre for the Care of Cancer patients at the Women Affairs Centre bazzar in Gaza during their awareness campaign for the early detection of breast cancer sponsored by Human Concern International.

That day she was duly briefed about the mammograms test which is among the best early detection methods for breast cancer among women. Few days passed before Nidhal decided to go for her free examination. She and her husband recall that day with much sorrow, the day when Nidhal was informed she is suffering from a malignant form of breast cancer, one that warrants surgery and the complete removal of her breast.

In addition to her serious medical condition which hinders her from working, her husband Saleem suffers from cartilage damages in six of his spinal vertebrates deeming him also unfit to work. As a result, the family was left with very little or no income, equally overwhelmed by the urgency of Nidhal’s medical condition.

As such, the Centre proceeded to make all necessary arrangements in preparation for the surgery and designated doctors to follow up her condition. Coordinators from the Centre were also asked to visit Nidhal frequently to offer moral and psychological support. Upon their last visit, the coordinators informed the family of their selection to the poultry keeping program.

The news brightened up an otherwise bleak reality, one that this family was made to endure as a result of disease, hunger, devastating wars, and extreme poverty. They were relieved to know that all technical and medical assistance pertaining to the poultry keeping business will be entirely taken care of for the first six months to allow for the business to flourish. Their two youngest daughters, 7 and 11 year-old Shrooq and Amal, were certainly delighted at the thought of playing with the birds and caring for them.

According to Saleem, the business will set out to be a source of nutrition for the family. The unconsumed surplus, such as eggs, will be sold to secure a steady flow of income. This in turn will allow the family to purchase lacking necessities, contribute towards Nidhal’s medical treatment, and restore their war-damaged home.

The story of the Mobaeed family might be laden with sorrow and hardships but it also paints a bittersweet picture of hope and resilience amidst poverty, war and disease.

INSPIRED BY LIFE, THE GOOD AND THE BAD: THE AL-SAMEERE FAMILY

It is difficult to imagine how life can possibly be a source of inspiration for those who are besieged by so much misery–when poverty is aggravated by disease, when disease is exacerbated by hunger, and hunger by devastating wars. This is the story of Fayaad Al-Sameere, a man who despite life’s every attempt at breaking him, remains high-spirited, hopeful, and determined, undeterred by poverty, hunger, or disease.

Fayaad lives in his modest home in the outskirts of Gaza, along the border, with his wife, six children and one grandchild. Fayaad was introduced to the members of our team when he came in one day declaring that he is “not here to beg or ask for money”. Fayaad came in that day asking that his elder son, Hussein, be treated for a malignant case of cancer as the family have lost all source of income and were unable to proceed with treatment.

Twenty-year old Hussein was forced to discontinue his education due to his illness where he suffered from untreated tumours in the neck. Fayaad, unable to help his son due to his dire financial situation, turned to the Centre for support, and our team duly obliged.

It is important to note that Fayaad, this vigorous 40-year old man, full of life and hope is himself a victim of cancer. His tumours extend from the neck to his chest, and he has undergone seven different surgeries. Despite his passion and love for life, though, Fayaad has grown weary, especially after he was banned from travelling to complete treatment. The reason is the overwhelmingly high expenses that according to the authorities suffice to treat fifty patients. As such, Fayaad’s treatment came to a sudden halt leaving him with one wish, to live in peace.

Peace however, was not granted to the Al-Sameere family. A plot of agricultural land along the borders of Gaza, once a source of income for the family, is now forbidden territory. Every morning through a pair of binoculars, Fayaad gazes at his land on the horizon. Each day he hopes that they would return to harvest the land and restore the damage caused by the war, whose bulldozers destroyed decade-old Almond trees, a war that left numerous landowners and their families deprived and landless.

Their home was not made an exception. During the December war, the family had to flee their house in the outskirts of Gaza in search of a safer place in the centre of the city. Despite their already overwhelming expenses they had no choice but to pay rent for their safe haven. Incessant bombing did not spare their house, and it too suffered severe physical damages.

It is clear why Fayaad’s family were most suitable for the poultry keeping project. They have suffered the malaise of war, poverty, hunger and disease all together, and though they do receive aid on a quarterly basis, it is insufficient.

Upon our team’s visit to Fayaad’s home, they noticed that a small piece of land adjacent to the house was already cleared out in anticipation of the flock of birds. In Fayaad’s words, the business represents a lifeline for the family and an opportunity to once again lead a self-sufficient and dignified life.

This source of income will go towards Hussein’s treatment, food, clothes, an oven and other necessary missing furniture. In addition he aspires to expand the business in the near future to include cattle which would generate more income for the family.

Fayaad’s steadfastness and optimistic outlook, is not merely admirable but inspirational. When everything else seems to fall apart, his love and passion for life remains undisputed.

A DOOR-LESS HOME: THE QUEEDER FAMILY

As the title suggests this is the story of a family too poor to even afford a door to conceal their modest home. There lives Mariam Queeder 70-years of age, a widow and mother to three children and seven step children most of them suffering from mental disorders, a condition that has become all too common in Gaza. Mariam’s daily strife for food and income is heart-wrenching, mainly relying on the kindness of a few charitable individuals.

Maysoon, the youngest and only child with a high school diploma, bears the brunt of this everyday battle. The responsibilities are cumbersome and the pressure of being the only high school graduate means that she is possibly the only family member with a slightly better chance of employment. Her siblings see in her a leader, indeed she is the family’s sole caretaker.

Unfortunately, her daily struggle to secure some form of sustenance for her siblings is undermined by the lack of income, and she like the rest of her family and indeed the majority of people in Gaza, is left without any form of employment. In her words, sleep is impossible when the mind is constantly buzzing with images of her hungry mother and siblings. One thing is for sure, hunger in Gaza is a pandemic spreading wilder than forest fire.

Maysoon was elated to hear the news about the poultry keeping business yet similarly perplexed, debating where to keep the birds and instantly worrying about feeding them. She was reassured that all technical and medical assistance will be at their disposal in addition to the chicken feed which will be provided for six consecutive months at the beginning of the project.

The poultry business instilled a sense of rejuvenated hope for the Queeder family, who now have the opportunity to be self-sufficient and finally generate the much needed income that will safeguard them from hunger and disease and ensure their overall-wellbeing.

This source of income will contribute towards the family’s medical expenses, food, and clothing and allow them to purchase basic commodities they were previously deprived from.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Behind images of war and poverty rests a reality unfathomable only by immediate experience. Even flamboyant words and images become superfluous at times, desensitizing many, if not most outside observers. With the end of each article and news briefing, most will return to the comfort of their mundane life, perhaps with a momentary sigh of relief, perhaps in an ephemeral state of despair. Eventually the majority of us tend to forget almost instantaneously.

Human Concern International’s firm belief that no innocent child, woman, or man should be the forgotten victims of such extreme poverty and devastation motivates us to pursue the most challenging yet most rewarding of tasks. HCI’s involvement in Gaza might not reach out to the whole of Gaza, but it aims to offer sustainable developmental solutions to as many families in need as is possible. We aspire to continue and expand our initiatives in hope that the good that is reaped will multiply and tip over the injustice of this status-quo.

Two jobs were created at the Al Mona center for hearing imparities & mental development in Tripoli the week that Yazan, a member of the fundraising team in Canada visited the HCI team in Lebanon. The center, a subsidiary of the Charity of the Islamic Women Society was where the first meal of HCI’s Farm to School program was served to schoolchildren in Lebanon. Farm to school brings healthy food from small local low-income farms to underprivileged school children at schools located in low-income areas. Vulnerable women, particularly widows and women with special needs are employed to prepare these meals and the targeted local farmers are given agricultural support and assistance to improve their economic stability. The center’s students were served a nutritionist designed meal of locally produced organic sautéed green beans and beef served with rice and a yoghurt salad, with an apple each for dessert. “The kids enjoyed the meal and were really happy to be able to play with each other and make new friends afterwards” Inaam Aloosh, the president of the CIWS told us as we toured the premises and witnessed the students happily engaged in their lessons despite the many challenges they are faced with. The Al Mona center has been a longtime local partner of HCI and hundreds of children with special needs have been able to benefit from many of the facilities secured by HCI such as equipment for testing hearing abilities and a psychomotricity room that helps the children coordinate the movement of their bodies with their brains.

We drive away from Tripoli northwards until neighborhoods are replaced by slums; grimy and bare concrete homes in disrepair randomly layered over each other and navigable only by uneven dirt paths. We have reached Beddawi, our second destination for the day. We are here to visit Mona; a widow and a single mother of nine. Her son Abdel Hadi is one of the many orphans aided by HCI’s child sponsorship program. She runs a tiny dimly lit grocery shop which also includes a sewing machine in the corner that allows her to double as a seamstress “I am barely able to make ends meet on my own; Beddawi is a very poor area, there is hardly any work here, I don’t know what I would have done without the child sponsorship program” she says to us as we sit in her modest home waiting for Abdel Hadi and his siblings to arrive from school (despite her difficult situation, she makes sure that all the children get an education).

When we enquire about how Abdel Hadi has been doing, she tells us that thanks to the his sponsorship he has recently been able to have surgery done in one eye to enable him to see better and will have the other one operated on soon. When he eventually arrives he greets us shyly and tells us about his day at school, he looks healthy and happy; it was worth the long bumpy journey to see his radiant smile. As he runs off to have lunch with his siblings we also remember that we have to head out to our next destination as well.

El Minieh is our next destination; we are here to visit Houriyeh, a widowed mother of two and a beneficiary of one of HCI’s micro credit programs. She welcomes us warmly and serves us chilled glasses of delicious fresh yogurt and tells us the story of how the yogurt came into being; “three years ago after my husband’s death, it was up to me to take care of the children on my own. I had heard of small microcredit loans that were being made available by HCI through a local partner and I decided to apply for one and buy a cow”. With this cow she was able to set up a small household dairy business that supplies the local community with fresh milk and yogurt. In addition to this, the manure produced by the cow is also bought by local farmers to be used as a natural fertilizer. Her cow eventually gave birth and she was able to sell the calf and settle her loan. It is amazing to witness firsthand how such a small sum of money has been able to impact this family’s life so positively; she tells us that thanks to this one cow she has been able to provide for her children and complete the construction of the house that her husband had started building before his death. We are impressed to learn that the yoghurt salad that was served at the first Farm to School meal in Tripoli was made of yoghurt provided by Houriyeh.

Our final destination for the day is in the Mhamra agricultural area; it is close to the Nahr Al Bared camp and was heavily affected by stray shelling from the 2007 Nahr Al Bared Conflict resulting in the loss of many harvests which dealt a crippling blow to the local farmers that are already caught in vicious cycles of debt. We are here to visit Khodor, one of these local farmers. Khodor and his six brothers own a small farm that they struggle to survive from.

He tells us that he has been engaged for about six years now and will continue to be unable to get married until he manages to save up enough money to build a small home for his future wife and himself to start a family in. Right now the siblings and their families live together in a small modest house on the farm and their priority is keeping the farm productive as it is their only source of income. As part of HCI’s agriculture extension services project, Khodor’s land is being reviewed by a team of volunteer agricultural engineers to determine what can be done to improve its economic stability. It has been a long day, we have seen a lot. It is time for us to head back to Beirut to prepare for the next day.

We head southwards towards Nabatiye the next day to visit another one of HCI’s local partners: Tamkeen Association for Independent Living, which is a nonprofit non sectarian and non political entity that takes care of the disabled and works on their rehabilitation. They have been around since 1987 and HCI has had a long and active history with them: some of the many projects implemented by HCI include equipping the special education center, early intervention center and the physiotherapy treatment center for rehabilitation of disabled people (particularly landmine victims), securing emergency relief funds for those affected by the July 1996 war and the numerous conflicts the area has seen, a landmine and unexploded ordnance danger awareness program and a micro loan program for disabled people and their families among others. HCI’s latest project with Tamkeen is to provide agricultural backyard production assistance to the physically disabled; the importance of this project lies in the fact that the handicapped are able to secure an income through micro farming outside their houses, without the need to commute placing them on the path towards self sustainability and improving their self esteem. Until now 10 people with special needs have been given support via HCI to help improve the viability of their backyard farms.

As we are shown around the center we meet Ali and Abdallah. Nine year old Ali was born without legs and until a few weeks ago had spent his entire life moving around on a wheelchair. Now, thanks to artificial limbs secured by Tamkeen, he is overjoyed to be learning to walk for the first time in his life. Eight year old Abdalla, on the other hand lost his leg a few weeks ago when he inadvertently stepped on an unexploded ordnance while playing in a field near his home. He too will be provided with an artificial limb once his injuries fully heal. As we visit the different classrooms and meet more of the special needs children, we can’t help but admire the spirit the challenged show in the face of adversity and a feel a deep sense of gratitude and respect towards all the individuals and organizations that dedicate their time and efforts to make positive change and empowerment come into fruition.

As we drive Yazan to Beirut, we excitedly discuss new ideas that have started to bud as a result of our collective experiences coming together on the field. The visit has come to an end. We say our goodbyes and though we head off in different directions, our goals remain the same.

Cultivation of land and farming are amongst the most basic of human activities. Although we take it for granted, self sufficiency in farming is vital for a community, especially in troubled regions.

As well as providing a source of food, the agricultural sector is a major force in the local economy in remote rural areas in Lebanon and, more importantly, in many areas it is the major or only source of employment. 8% of the actual Lebanese labor force is occupied by the agricultural sector. For farmers and their workers the success of a farm or cultivation — sometimes only a handful of cattle even — can be the difference between hope and poverty. Even the ability to send children to school and pay for their learning materials can depend on basic agriculture and healthy livestock.

Given this, imagine the consequences when a farmer loses his crop or livestock to a natural or human-made disaster, such as the Lebanese-Israeli war in 2006 where 1 600 high-yielding milking cows and more than 20 000 goats were lost in one month in the south alone, as well as hundreds of thousands hectares of rich agricultural lands. These were lost/destroyed either by unexploded ordnances (more than 40% of cluster bombs have not been cleared yet,) direct bombardments or by ruined direct markets. In addition, farms in rural Lebanon suffer from diverse problems ranging from poverty to lack of awareness. This places an influence on the single household itself whether by the income provided by the man of the family, or women or children and their education. These conditions lead to many other problems related to health and sanitary issues. Access to a good nutritious meal is becoming a serious risk for children in rural areas.

“Imagine also the way in which a life can be improved with a small investment in establishing a farmer,” explained Rabih Yazbeck, HCI Regional Director. “Building on decades of experience in agriculture development programs in the region, HCI’s new program aims to help low-income and needy farmers establish themselves,” Mr. Yazbeck concluded.

HCI’s new project, Helping Hands, targets primarily war-affected regions in the South of Lebanon as well as in the Bekaa Valley.

HCI and its partners in Nabatieyh in the South, Joun in Mount of Lebanon and partners in the Bekaa valley will conduct surveys in each of the targeted areas to select humanitarian cases that can be included in the project. Three hundred beneficiaries will be targeted in the first phase.

People with special needs in Nabatieyh will be assisted to set up small plots of mixed crops; low-income farmers in Joun will be provided with pesticides, fertilizers and insecticide spraying; small farmers in the Bekaa Valley will be coached on the selection, planting, care, harvesting, post-harvesting handling and marketing methods and strategies; and, technical assistance on plant problem diagnosis (pest, disease, nutritional and physiological disorders of produce).

Extension workers will also work with farmers on developing new/direct markets and marketing and pricing strategies. Farmers will be encouraged on clustering of similar or complementary productions, on joint promotion and marketing, on cooperation and collective support for farming which can secure the viability and complementarities of the actions.

Livestock farmers will also be provided with technical and veterinarian assistance, as well as subsidized dairy cows, goat, sheep, and honey bees for the neediest farmers, especially those who have incurred losses during the 2006 war.

HCI launched this week its new project in Lebanon, the Farm to School program, with the objectives of improving the economic stability of low-income local small farmers in rural areas, providing jobs for vulnerable local women in food preparation, providing healthy meals for thousands of poor students, improving the nutritional health of poor school-aged children, increasing school attendance among poor students, and educating students on healthy eating habits.

Farm to School program brings healthy food from local farms to thousands of poor school children at schools located in low-income remote villages. Vulnerable women, particularly widows and women with special needs, will be provided jobs in food preparation. It is a win-win for everyone.

Moreover, the program teaches students about the path from farm to fork, and promotes healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. At the same time, use of local products in school meals and educational activities provides a new direct market for farmers in the area and lessens environmental impacts of transporting food through long distances.

The program desires to support community-based food systems, strengthen family farms, provide jobs for vulnerable women, provide food supplement for poor students and improve student health. As soon as the poor students’ health improves, they will automatically regard the healthy eating habits as responsible for this improvement. Consequently, they will, more possibly, adopt these healthy habits for life and maybe spread them to other unfortunate members of the family who have no chance of this “luxury”. This program, as mentioned above, helps students, family farms, and vulnerable women. In this way, the family farm owners will have better hopes of making a direct living, the students will be motivated to get an education, and the women will benefit of their wasted time. These benefits are not limited to economy and education, but also it affects the psychological state of all these subjects, thus collectively improving the mental state of a big part of the village.

On the long-term, the program will introduce waste management programs like composting, and experiential education opportunities such as planting school gardens, cooking demonstrations and farm tours.

The border village Al-Wazani, an underprivileged agricultural village in Southern Lebanon located directly on the Lebanese-Israeli border, was heavily affected by the July-August 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel. In addition to the total destruction of infrastructure, the loss of lives and an economy suffering badly from the recession that followed the war, livestock losses during the war are estimated at 1 600 high-yielding milking cows and more than 20 000 goats. The families that already lived in fragile conditions before the conflict, found themselves facing a very difficult situation with the loss of the much needed income; most of them having no savings to make new investments.

HCI project is helping hardest-hit farming families to recover their livestock losses and resume their production activities which include milk production and processing into local yogurt and cheese. This involves the distribution of milking cows to those families and providing them with technical and veterinarian assistance. The project involved the development of a revolving livestock scheme, but requiring the first newborn cows to be given to other families in need. The project also involved conducting a comprehensive survey in Al-Wazani area by profiling hardest-hit farming families and conducting a needs assessment for shortlisted families.

The border village Al-Wazani, an underprivileged agricultural village in Southern Lebanon located directly on the Lebanese-Israeli border, was heavily affected by the July-August 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel. In addition to the total destruction of infrastructure, the loss of lives and an economy suffering badly from the recession that followed the war, livestock losses during the war are estimated at 1 600 high-yielding milking cows and more than 20 000 goats. The families that already lived in fragile conditions before the conflict, found themselves facing a very difficult situation with the loss of the much needed income; most of them having no savings to make new investments.