Beirut, July 2018 – Under the patronage of HE Mr. Marwan Hamadeh, Minister of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon, L’Oréal Levant, in cooperation with Kayany Foundation, launched its charitable program “Beauty for a Better Life” on Tuesday 10 July 2018.
The ceremony took place at the UNWFPA School for Girls in Barr Elias, in the presence of HE Mr. Marwan Hamadeh, HE Mr. Wael Abou Faour, the Managing Director of L’Oréal Levant, Mr. Philippe Patsalides, Kayany Foundation and President, Mrs. Nora Jumblatt, and Mrs Aida Shawwaf, president of Friends of Kayany US, in addition to renowned deputies, heads of municipalities, mayors and a group of Lebanese social and political figures, local media representatives and partners of the Foundation.
L’Oréal’s “Beauty for a Better Life” program, present in more than 30 countries around the world, aims at empowering individuals in vulnerable situations by offering them high quality tuition-free training in the beauty sector, helping them regain self-esteem and reintegrate themselves into society.
The “Beauty for a Better Life” program deploys customized teaching methods developed by L’Oréal’s haircare, make-up and beauty experts. The training is both theoretical and practical and takes place in an authentic, specially equipped academy built specifically for this intensive course.
This international program is deployed in several countries by L’Oréal subsidiaries in collaboration with a local partner. In Lebanon, the program was launched in 2014 in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages Lebanon. This program targets the association’s youth with the aim of helping them establish a fruitful career in hairdressing through professional training. To date, more than 120 beneficiaries, including young men and women from SOS, and others who have endured difficult family and social experiences, have benefited from this program. The latter also helps them secure employment at certified L’Oréal salons after graduation.
Following the success of the program “Beauty for a Better Life” was launched in Barr Elias in collaboration with Kayany Foundation. The result of this partnership was a second academy built to support young Lebanese and Syrian girls by helping them regain self-confidence and establish a dignified future in their community.
Ms. Nora Jumblatt, Founder and President of Kayany Foundation said “Since the launch of Kayany in 2013, we have been working to support Syrian refugees and vulnerable groups in order to save a generation through education”. She also thanked L’Oréal officials for the valuable initiative. “This partnership came to light due to L’Oréal’s belief in supporting the underprivileged and will contribute to aiding young women by providing them with sustainable jobs”.
In his speech, Mr. Philippe Patsalides, Managing Director of L’Oréal Levant, thanked the Ministry of Education and Higher Education for its valuable support and stressed on the importance of the cooperation between L’Oréal and Kayany Foundation. He also highlighted the significance of the relationship between L’Oréal and non-governmental organizations that are contributing to the society’s welfare. “For more than a century, we have dedicated our energy and our competencies solely to one business: beauty. It is a business rich in meaning, because it allows all individuals to express themselves and gain self-confidence and openness to others. Beauty is not just a brand, a product or a service; it is a human and social commitment embodied in our activities and projects across Lebanon, Levant and the world. We are proud to be working with Kayany Foundation, and we are confident that our cooperation will be very successful”.