Beirut, January 17, 2018 – Under the patronage of his Excellency the Minister of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon, Mr. Marwan Hamadeh, L’Oréal Levant organized a graduation ceremony for the technical institute students of its “Beauty for a Better Life” training program in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages Lebanon on Wednesday 17th of January 2018.
The ceremony took place at Saint Joseph University in Beirut in the presence of Ms. Salam Younes, Director General of the Technical and Vocational Education in Lebanon, representing his Excellency Mr. Marwan Hamadeh. Amongst the audience were also Lebanese social and political figures, local media representatives and partners of the association. During the event, 38 graduates received diplomas after having successfully completed a professional training program in hairdressing.
The event highlights the program’s humanitarian and educational aspects and its contribution to the strengthening of social ties in more than thirty countries. The latter aims to empower 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 characterized by reinforced instructor supervision in relation to a limited number of students. 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 salon.
“Beauty for a Better Life” is an international program deployed in many countries by local L’Oréal teams in collaboration with a local partner. In Lebanon, the program was launched in 2014 in an alliance with SOS Children’s Villages. It targets youth from SOS Children’s Villages Lebanon or from the association’s Family Strengthening Program and other adolescents who have experienced different kinds of social problems and difficult family circumstances. Through intensive courses in haircare, the program officiates more than 20 young graduates per year helping them find a job in L’Oréal beauty salons.
In order to increase the number of beneficiaries of this tuition-free program, intensive summer training courses are offered to women from the Family Strengthening Program of SOS Children’s Villages Lebanon, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to more than 30 per year.
The managing director of L’Oréal Levant, Mr. Philippe Patsalides commenced the ceremony with a welcoming speech, insisting on the importance of the collaboration between L’Oréal and SOS Children’s Villages Lebanon. He highlighted the humanitarian aim of this partnership as it helps adolescents and young adults living in vulnerable economic situations to develop their abilities, realize their aspirations and increase their job opportunities to guarantee a decent life for them and their families.
He added: “Beauty in all its dimensions and at its core is one of the foundations of life. At L’Oréal, this belief feeds into our mottos, actions and practices. In our vision, beauty is not only a product or a service but also a humanitarian and social commitment embodied in our activities and projects across Lebanon, Levant and the entire world.
Ms. Salam Younes, Director General of the Technical and Vocational Education in Lebanon, also delivered a speech, in which she conveyed Minister Hamadeh’s appreciation to the officials of “Beauty for a Better Life”, for the program’s humanitarian and social initiative, and the ministry’s keenness to continually support it. Younes also acclaimed SOS Children’s Villages Lebanon for its dedication for nearly fifty years in securing alternative care for children deprived of family care. Before leaving the floor, she congratulated the graduates and praised L’Oréal’s achievements, and its role on both the educational and social fronts, contributing to the development of Lebanon’s social and economic environments.
As for Mrs. Afifa Dirani Arsanios, President of the Board of SOS Children’s Villages Lebanon, she also extended her gratitude to L’Oréal officials for their support of the young students and all the families who benefit from SOS support through the Association’s social centers. She underlined the strong relationship between L’Oréal and SOS and their intention to widen the career horizons of the beneficiaries and create more job opportunities through L’Oréal’s wide network.
She also emphasized the importance of the cooperation between the private and public sectors through similar initiatives, to ensure that all individuals with potential keep orbiting the economic cycle, and therefore, contribute to the growth of a viable society.
At the end, she congratulated the graduates and wished them a brilliant and fruitful future in the career they have chosen to embark on.