Syrian women in Akkar navigating Lebanon's crises through enterprise
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locationLebanon
- Services
- Cooperative Support
Manal Mamou and Maysaa Alsaghyer, Syrian refugees in Lebanon, transformed adversity into opportunity by establishing MOUNET Al DAR cooperative. Driven by the need to support their families amidst crisis, they ventured into food processing. With STEP’s programme support, they overcame challenges, launched their brand, and empowered women in their community through employment.
Echoing the journeys of many who sought refuge in Lebanon from the turmoil of the Syrian war, Manal and Maysaa are mothers determined to provide for their families and community amid Lebanon’s wave of crises, such as electricity blackouts, high inflation rates and high unemployment.
“I came to Lebanon during the time of the war and searched for work but couldn’t find any,” said Manal. “We wanted to find work,” explains Maysaa. ”So we entered the field of food processing and manufacturing, myself and my friend Manal. We wanted to start our own business.”
Manal and Maysaa started their home-based food processing business, MOUNET Al DAR, which sells dairy products, pitted olives, cucumber pickles, and more. Their venture into the world of food processing was not without its challenges. While they possessed expertise in food processing, they lacked the necessary knowledge in packaging, marketing, access to markets, and branding.
Joining the Skills, Training and Education Programme (STEP) by SPARK and financed by the Islamic Development Bank and Abdul Aziz al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund, the women-led enterprise received access to tailored training to build their capacity. “We attended courses with the Al Moltaqa [SPARK’s partner in Lebanon] that supported small emerging projects, including feasibility studies, marketing, packaging, and branding,” explains Maysaa.
Armed with newfound knowledge and skills, Manal and Maisa took decisive steps forward, turning their imagination into reality. Leveraging their food processing expertise and the guidance they received through mentoring and coaching, they launched their own brand. “After the courses with the forum, we established our own brand for our product, complete with our own logo,” Manal shared.
MOUNET Al DAR cooperative has been a key factor in helping many families in Akkar survive multiple crises, making women proud of themselves and their community. Maysaa affirmed, “We also try to involve unemployed women with us because we can employ women during the seasons when they are unemployed. In this way, we support women in every possible way.”
