Beit El Baraka Usa

Beit el Baraka is a secular and non-political charity that caters to vulnerable communities of elders and children all over Lebanon. Today, Lebanon has the fastest ageing population in the entire Middle East and North Africa: 11% of the population is above 65 years of age, with no retirement pensions. The younger population, aged 0 to 24 represents 42% of the total population, with the highest youth out-migration rate in the region. So based on these alarming figures, our support program aims at providing a safety net to a disappearing Lebanese middle class and to vulnerable communities. Our program’s database comprises 226,000 Lebanese households of retirees, and 20,306 students living in strong financial distress. With a holistic mission of ensuring respect, support, and dignity, we grant these families access to our five services:

• Healthy food
• Decent livelihood
• Medical services
• Education
• Job creation

1-Healthy food: A free supermarket

In February 2019, we opened an elegant free supermarket based on a system of points that makes our members feel they are "shopping", not seeking charity. Giving someone the freedom of choice means giving them dignity. And in order to sustain our food aid program, we decided to launch our agro-farming permaculture project across 500,000 m² of land, which allows us to produce 250 kgs of dairy products a day, 18 tons of organic fruits and vegetables, 2 tons of honey per season, and 63,000 fresh eggs all distributed free of charge to our elders and children. We also provide 75,000 warm cooked meals to our most vulnerable seniors who cannot fend for themselves. We also provide daily meals to 3,000 students who were attending school on an empty stomach.

2-Decent housing

We refurbish the homes of our elderly beneficiaries in order to provide them with decent living standards. With no access to any form of income, retirees are forced to migrate to extremely poor areas where rent is cheap, but rooms are unsanitary and neighborhoods are unsafe. Our support program aims at avoiding that, by assisting these elders in settling their rent, electricity and water bills and remaining in their homes. After the Beirut port explosion, that same department rehabilitated 3,100 apartments including 689 small businesses, 7 schools, 12 building facades, and 21 heritage buildings.

3-Medical support: A free pharmacy

Our medical support program covers the treatment needs of our patients, and through our free pharmacy, we are able to assist a wider number of elders and patients in need. From our pharmacy, we distributed 21,300 medicines so far in 12 hospitals and 30 dispensaries all over Lebanon.

4-Education

Another victim of Lebanon’s economic downfall and the Beirut port explosion, the education sector in Lebanon needs to be salvaged before the country suffers irreversible repercussions. With the severe economic crisis, many parents lost their jobs and their life savings, and can no longer pay tuition fees. So in partnership with Murex, we launched our education program, Forsa that supports 20,306 students in 167 schools. We also installed solar panels on schools to date.

5-Capacity Building and Sustainability:

In order to respond to the growing need, and in line with our sustainability goal, we launched our social enterprise, “Kanz”: a line of fine terroir products and artisanal crafts that empowers thousands of women and artisans in villages all over Lebanon. By exporting their talent to the world, we identify new markets, we create job opportunities in rural areas, and we develop training programs that transform Beit el Baraka’s beneficiaries into producers. One of Kanz Gourmet products has already won the “Best Innovation Award” in April 2024. For over 30 years, Lebanon imported more than 80% of its food, which had a devastating impact on rural communities and small industries. Today, we are working relentlessly to identify small scale producers and artisans whose work reflects our culinary heritage and cultural legacy, and with them, we are teaching Beit el Baraka’s families the skills needed to become independent producers. Kanz’s mission is to revive, safeguard, and transmit artistic and culinary heritage skills of Lebanon.