The Amel’s MENNA shop sells unique crafts and artifacts made by both vulnerable Lebanese and refugee women.
Hundreds of marginalized women have been benefiting of the “Mann Hiya” collaborative project, which can be translated to “where does it comes from?”. The initiative is focused on producing handmade crafts and artifacts in order to sell them in Lebanon and abroad.
Based in Ain El Remmaneh Amel’s Center, this is one of the pillars of a comprehensive program focused on women’s empowerment and the improvement of their livelihood skills. Several sectors are tackled, such as protection, education, cooking and vocational training.
These unique products are commercialized through Amel’s MENNA shop, a collaboration with Oxfam-Novib. Since 2015, it works as a showroom and a market place. Organic soap produced in Amel’s artisanal factory of Ebl el Saqi can be found also.
Our MENNA shop provides these women a strong access to the labour market; it is not only a permanent selling point, but also a place to work and share experience and knowledge.
Sixty-six families are currently benefiting from the shop, in addition to the 340 women that receive training in production skills on a yearly basis.
“Mann Hiya” gathers Amel’s vision and values about personal development in order to empower women. While these women are initially helped in the training sessions, they also go on to have a contribution to their societies by selling at MENNA shop.
The project benefits from the different background of the participants -mainly Lebanese, Syrian, and Iraqis-, resulting in unique items and ideas as each of the women incorporates her own cultural knowledge in the production of her handicrafts, tea sets, hats and other objects.
The Ain El Remmaneh Center is located in an area which hosts many vulnerable people, and it has been working with them since 2007. After the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, the center has become a gathering point and a place of integration for many Syrian refugees, enhancing the peaceful cohabitation between the new comers and the host community.
