Mobilizing the women of the communities we work in is a pillar of MECI’s model. The reasoning behind it follows the same thinking applied to all our programs: breaking the cycle of conflict requires a holistic approach. For peace and prosperity to have a chance within a community, everyone needs to work towards a peaceful future.
In collaboration with local women’s associations, MECI creates jobs for the community’s women while providing them with the training they need to develop entrepreneurial skills to set up and manage businesses. MECI also offers them the technical and financial support needed to launch new social enterprises. MECI’s work with the Deir Ghassaneh Women’s Association is tangible proof of the efficiency and potential of such a venture: Currently employing 15 women from the community, the association is running a catering business and a bakery which provides snacks for MECI’s after-school program and 300 daily meals for students at local schools.
This model allows MECI to gradually transfer the operational management and program funding to the women’s association, enhancing its sustainability and providing an alternative to aid dependency. As for the women participating in the program, these workshops and business experiences allow them to become economically independent agents of change within their community.
MECI also offers workshops for mothers to raise their understanding of health, hygiene and good parenting. These workshops empower women by providing them with the information they need to look after themselves and their families.