Photo courtesy GATE Lebanon, © RET Germany

Article by Carine Harouny, Operations and Communications Officer for GATE Lebanon, RET’s local implementing partner

AKKAR, LEBANON – In North Lebanon, RET Germany has been working to improve food security and livelihoods, promote the inclusion of women and vulnerable groups through its latest BMZ-funded project, in collaboration with local partner GATE Lebanon.

The post-harvest vocational training on apple handling in Fnaidek showed fast and clear results. During the training, 19 women learned practical skills in apple sorting, grading, and packing. In addition, they received training on hygiene and basic cold-storage operations. These hands-on sessions helped prepare them to meet the needs of local agricultural facilities.

Right after the training ended, more than half of the participants were hired by the cold-storage and packing center owner to support the apple season. This quick employment demonstrates the strong demand for trained local workers and the value of the skills gained through the training.

Photo courtesy GATE Lebanon, © RET Germany

Before this activity, the cold-storage owner used to bring workers from outside the region, far from the facility and had to pay additional transportation fees. Now, thanks to the trained women from Fnaidek, he is able to hire workers from the community, reducing facility costs, decreasing crop losses for farmers and providing better salaries for workers supporting local families.

This initiative not only created job opportunities for women but also improved the quality of work inside the facility, reduced losses and strengthened women’s role in the agricultural sector. It clearly shows that practical training can quickly lead to better job opportunities and positive economic results at the community level.

The project “Improving Food Security and Livelihoods, Inclusion of Women and Vulnerable Groups, and Promoting Gender Equality in Northern Lebanon,” is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ) through RET Germany and implemented in collaboration with GATE Lebanon.

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