We have always believed that charity is not a viable model. This is why we started working on sustainable long-term solutions that would enable Beit el Baraka, as well as our families, to start becoming financially independent.
How do we do that?
- We established Kanz: A social enterprise that empowers over 1000 women and artisans in 53 villages across Lebanon, producing the finest Lebanese terroir products and artisanal crafts, with all proceeds going to support Beit el Baraka. These artisans are trained by Beit el Baraka’s consultant Chefs and Designers for quality control and art direction before being given the platform to export their creations to the world.
- Through Kanz, we launched a program to identify talented craftsmen and women who are willing to develop their skills under the artistic direction of talented artists and designers. This program is in partnership with Beirut Bloomers.
- With the support of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), we partnered this month with vetted NGOs Khotwa and Locade to offer local Mouneh producers in the Bekaa four-pillar workshops that help them gain know-how and upgrade their crafstmanship. With the workshops focusing on accounting, social media, digital marketing, as well as food safety and hygiene, these producers will learn how to take their business to a new level.
Schools opening soon: Beit el Baraka and Murex launch the second phase of Forsa… with a solar bang!
Less than a year ago, Beit el Baraka and Murex partnered to launch the Forsa program in order to contribute to saving the education sector in Lebanon from collapsing. Together, with your help, we were able to raise more than $3 million to support this program in two phases. With a budget of $1,300,000, the first phase succeeded in settling the tuition fees of 11,877 students across 99 schools in Lebanon, while also saving the jobs of 7,189 teachers and administrative employees, all the whilst not exceeding 4,27% in operational costs.
Launching FORSA II allows us to provide cost-efficient, green energy solutions for schools all over Lebanon. By installing PV solar panels and curbing the escalating cost of fuel, we allow schools, with the saved OPEX on energy costs, to offset the next three years of unpaid tuition fees for vulnerable students identified by Beit el Baraka.
Stay tuned!
It’s apple season soon: 13 tons from our land in Qartaba
This year’s apple season is like no other in our farms! With a quadrupled quantity of apples hovering around 13 tons, our team in Qatarba is preparing not only for harvest but also for all the wonderful transformations that will take place in our food processing kitchen. From apple juice to apple molasses, apple jam, apple vinegar, and dried apples, our beneficiaries will rejoice in delicious organic apple Mouneh this year!
- Other agricultural updates in Baklush, Ain Zebdeh, and Qartaba
- In our Baklush farm: Tending to our cows, goats, and chickens is a daily task taken seriously, as well as producing 150 kgs of dairy products a day, as well as 800 eggs, and harvesting 2 tons of organic honey per season for our families.
- Our heirloom seeds: Our heirloom seeds reproduction project is making progress: we extracted most of the seeds from the big healthy plants and fruits that we carefully selected throughout the season, cleaned, dried and stored them in our collection for next season to plant more resilient and productive crops.
- Em Charbel’s tomato paste: Em Charbel made batches of delicious homemade tomato paste from our organic heirloom tomato varieties for our supermarket beneficiaries.
- ‘Tis the harvest season! Iconic summer veggies were harvested, tender and juicy, across our farms for our beneficiaries, while winter crops are being planted in nurseries in preparation of the cold season.
Expansion plans for our healthcare department: from a free pharmacy to a primary healthcare centre
With healthcare costs on the rise in Lebanon, our elderly beneficiaries are not even able to afford a doctor consultation, while the number of patients knocking on our door keeps rising. Because we care about the health of our elders, we felt we needed to take action. This is how the thought of opening our own primary healthcare center started materializing. With the network of specialists who are ready to volunteer for our cause, this center will allow us to consult our patients for free, in addition to covering the costs of their surgeries and treatments.
Help us realize this dream by donating to our PHC project!
Have you seen our warehouse that supports 65 charities across Lebanon?
Our warehouse is the focal point of our charity activities. Here, we receive all our in-kind donations from around the world and dispatch them to our network of 65 charities across Lebanon that we support. The warehouse is equipped with chilled areas, where perishable items are preserved, as well as shelves for canned food, and palletized flooring for extra safety.