Strengthening Rural Communities

Mercy Corps’ mobile information-technology education tool, the SmartBus, provides computer access to village youth. Photo: Mercy Corps Lebanon

In communities in southern Lebanon that have been fragmented and displaced by years of civil war, Mercy Corps is working with community members, small business owners, and local government to strengthen civil society and improve economic conditions.

Mercy Corps' aim is to assist rural communities in southern Lebanon to cope with everyday life and to foster a new sense of community pride. The programs develop cluster communities – groups of villages in a small region - to address basic physical, economic and social needs. The clustering of otherwise isolated rural communities allows groups of villages to take advantage of one another’s resources to create or build upon existing resources, promoting depth of impact rather than geographic spread. To facilitate this, Mercy Corps works closely with local civic councils as well as community members from all factions of the villages, educational and health institutions, local cooperatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and entrepreneurs.

Since 1997, projects have included the training of 1133 village women in civic literacy, basic living skills, human reproduction and vocational training such as bookkeeping and industrial sewing. In addition, Mercy Corps' agricultural training programs have enabled community members to participate in the economic development of their own families and in the broader community cluster and region. To date, 658 people have used the two training and demonstration parks to teach and learn new skills like organic farming, pruning and grafting. These farmers and NGOs have been able to implement new skills and directly impact the agricultural production and economic viability of the region.

The training workshops on topics such as "How to Start Your Own Business" and other income generating techniques have proven to be popular and effective. Two workshops were recently held with 25 women participating. Fourteen of the women have gone on to start their own business. One woman, Sulafah Mahmoud, a 56-year-old housewife, started her own business of preparing and selling traditional Lebanese sweets. Samar Khaled, a 26-year-old young woman, bought clothes from Syria and was able to sell them at home at competitive prices. After completing the workshops, many of the participants subsequently applied for loans through the Credit Revolving Fund. These new businesses impact the overall economic development and stability of the region.

One of the most successful projects is the Women's Cooperative. Educational training and support is complemented by micro-credit loans thus reinforcing the principles of civil society through accountability and increased participation in socio-economic development. The venture is not only a commercial success but has proven to be an avenue for social and cultural change with respect to women's roles and status in the community. The creation of the cooperative has strengthened group solidarity among village women, promoted community pride and helped encourage the active participation of women in public life.

Mercy Corps also operates a literacy program in these communities. The literacy campaign is designed to promote community problem solving and increase participation in community life through education of basic skills. By the end of the literacy campaign, participants are able to read and write simple texts, impacting their lives and social status. One of the female trainees recently expressed her joy in being able to read, especially because she is now able to help her young children with their studies. Others have used their new skills to find higher paid employment, thus raising the standard of living for their entire family.

Additional Mercy Corps programming in computer training, reforestation, beach clean-up, sports and a "Smart Bus" mobile public library and technology center have allowed communities to participate in a revitalized community life and increase the economic and environmental well-being of the region. These structural and behavioral changes will become the foundation for a more vibrant, participatory, and accountable civil society capable of supporting and sustaining their communities into the future.