Situation Analysis
The past two months have seen signicant progress in the results of the sector in all its dierent areas of work, as well as a remarkable increase in number of partners active in livelihoods (19 for September and October – the highest number to date).
Partners notably supported 14 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (4 in Akkar and 10 in Mount Lebanon) through counseling, business plan development, and support in preparing a micro-grant application for up to $3,000, to address a specic need or oer a new service/product. In addition, 10 entrepreneurs benetted from business management training.
Progress in the areas of support to value chains are also nally evident, with two interventions completed to strengthen the potato and green leaf value chain in the Akkar region: the rst one focused on promoting internship opportunities for youth within the agriculture sector and expanding the Ministry of Agriculture –
Technical Education department network of partnerships with key stakeholders in areas of vocational training and agriculture; and the second linked relevant Lebanese actors with a large Dutch supplier so as to enlarge export opportunties . Other interventions by partners to address the weakest links in the tomato and goat herder value chains in Bekaa as well as the handicraft value chain in Akkar are also well underway. The former is expected to benet up to 270 Lebanese farmers through cooperatives.
In the area of rapid-income generation, progress of the sector has also been spectacular, with more beneciaries in the last two months than since the beginning of the year. Overall, labour-intensive projects completed by partners led to the creation of nearly 27,000 workmen days and contributed to the rehabilitation of infrastructures in 19 new villages in the most vulnerable cadastres. It should also be noted that 35% of beneciaries in the last two months were women, a sign that partners are diversifying their activities to oer opportunities to both genders.