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26Aug

From where I stand: “With each seed I planted, I felt more capable, more useful, more alive”

Illustration: UN Women/Lauren Rooney   In the fertile soil of resilience, Nour*, 41, has cultivated a new life as rich as the crops she now tends. After years of personal struggles, including health challenges, and domestic violence, Nour has found new strength to sow the seeds for a stronger, more hopeful future through through INITIATE’s Cash-for-Work agriculture initiative. “Today, I live in Tyre with...

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26Aug

From where I stand: “I Found Strength in the Soil”

Illustration: UN Women/Lauren Rooney Khadija Ali Youssef, 57, is from the village of Blida in southern Lebanon. When the conflict erupted in September 2024, her home was completely destroyed, and her husband lost his livelihood. Forced to flee, she and her young son sought refuge in Tyre Vocational Center, which has been converted into temporary accommodation for displaced families. 🚀 Supercharge Your Con Conditions...

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03Jun

Sanaa’s Story: Rising from Injustice to Empowerment

My name is Sanaa and I am 58 years old. For years, I lived in a marriage marked by injustice and neglect. When my former husband married another woman, his treatment of me shifted drastically—suddenly, I was met with constant discrimination and disrespect. Eventually, our marriage ended in divorce. But that was only the beginning of my struggle. After the divorce, I...

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03Jun

“One Day, She’ll Know Me”: Hawraa’s Journey to Healing and Hope

"I’m Hawraa, 28 years old, currently working at the community kitchen, where we prepare meals to support our community during challenging times. Behind Hawraa’s gentle features and quiet demeanor lies a story shaped by hardship—one of silent resilience and profound strength. “The day I joined this Cash for Work (CFW), opportunity and became part of the team, marks the day...

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02Jun

From Silence To Strength: Batoul’s Journey Of Retrieving Her Life!

"At 52, I don’t just carry the weight of my past—I wear my resilience like a badge of honor. I’ve survived gender-based violence, raised my children through hardship, and today, I stand proud as part of the Cash for Work kitchen team. Every meal I prepare is part of my healing, part of reclaiming my story. Mine is not just...

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06Jun

Looking into the Brightside

A cheerful, happy enthusiastic 32 years’ Palestinian woman Suzan, walks around the camp surveying cases in an attempt to serve her community in Beddawi camp, north Lebanon. Based on UNRWA Lebanon, Beddawi camp was established in 1955 and is located on a hill some 5 kilometers north-east of Tripoli. Throughout its first five decades, the camp attracted large numbers of...

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06Jun

Getting out of my Comfort Zone

A divorcee woman, a mother of an eleven years old boy, at the age of 27 waiting for her father to give her allowance. That’s how Walaa describes her situation before joining to be one of the 120 women working in community kitchens to produce and distribute hot meals to food insecure households in Ein el Hilwe, Beddawi and Rashidieh...

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03May

Women in Lebanon join forces to fight food poverty in their communities

“This community kitchen came as an opportunity for all the women at the camp to have the chance to work, help their community, and learn new skills. There is nothing better than bringing people together to serve their community.” 27-year-old, Mariam works as a kitchen manager at an established women-led community kitchen in Beddawi Palestinian Refugee camp in Tripoli. The community...

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12Apr

Women Supporting Women

One hundred and twenty women are engaged in the preparation and distribution of hot meals for vulnerable families living in Ein el Hilweh camp (Saida) and Beddawi camp (Tripoli) under “Empowering Women And Addressing Food Insecurity Through Women-Led Community Kitchens Project.”. The project is implemented by INITIATE in partnership with Women Program Association (WPA), with support from UN Women, funded...

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12Apr

Starting With Fresh Eyes

“It took me few days to realize how bad the situation in my community is,” says Safa, “before joining the project, I thought I knew my community and surroundings well.  Honestly, I thought we were all managing these harsh situations in the same way. I realized that the situation was much worse than it seemed. My neighbors, whom I thought...

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