Prodes

Promoters:

Juliana Najem.

Country:

Lebanon

An entrepreneurship programme targeting primarily women and youth in rural areas. Activities are tailored to the local needs and aimed at fostering job market insertion and rural development.

What solution does the innovation propose?

The initiative fosters the economic and social empowerment  of women and young people with the purpose of creating employment and building capacity for the development of the tourism and hospitality sectors in rural areas. Additionally, Prodes builds capacity in women who have created informal tourism-related businesses to professionalise their services. The overall objective is to reduce migration to urban areas.

Recognitions

WISE Awards (2016).

Impact evidence

Outputs

More than 12,000 young and adult women supported.
The Lebanese Ministry of Tourism integrated the programme into the 2015 National Strategy for Rural Tourism. The launch of the Rural Routes circuit is an important step for the socio-economic development of the 20 villages that are included.

Outcomes

90% of the graduates from Prodes’ Institute of Management and Services (IMS) go on to full-time employment.
A qualitative study shows success in helping participants through skills development, improving the management and processes of businesses, launching new start-ups and obtaining higher wages.

Sources

Information collected by WISE Qatar for the 2016 edition.

Layoun, J. (2014). “Micro and Small Business Development and Capacity Building for Formal Education in Rural Lebanon 2006-2014”. Reledev Australia Limited.

Ministry of Tourism (2015) “Lebanon Rural Tourism Strategy”.

Official website of the Jbail-Byblos Tourism initiative, under the umbrella of the national Rural Tourism Strategy.

How does it work?

The programme offers diverse training activities to meet the needs of different groups and local regions. Its methodology is based on three core components: education (personal skills development and professional training in the business field of tourism and hospitality), business development (supporting the creation of micro-enterprises and access to financial mechanisms) and networking (creating networks and associations of female micro-entrepreneurs).

Through its Institute of Management and Services, Prodes delivers training programmes in groups of 8 to 15 participants and provides each beneficiary with personal follow-up through monitoring visits afterwards. In addition, activities deliver specific knowledge regarding technology, management, language, hospitality, arts and handicrafts, reviving local traditions and organising festivals and cultural events. Prodes also organises awareness campaigns to highlight the importance of the tourism industry, catering services, accommodation and local food production for the hospitality sector.