Since 2020, Lebanon has been grappling with numerous challenges, which include an economic crisis, political instability, and regional conflicts, among which tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border stand out. These crises have significantly exacerbated unemployment, poverty and food insecurity among Lebanese citizens and refugees from Syria and Palestine residing in the country.
Lebanon has a young population, with people under the age of 35 making up around 60–70% of the country’s inhabitants, at least 50% of whom are women. Young people, and women in particular, are disproportionately affected by socio-economic challenges. Young girls and women face marginalisation in society and multifaceted barriers to their active participation in social and professional life. Only 29% of adult women work professionally. The current project of the Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH) aims to change this situation for the better.
GLOW Centre for Empowerment is a youth centre in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, which was founded in fall 2020 by PAH and its local partner, International Humanitarian Relief Lebanon, to support socio-economic development in the country. By empowering marginalised groups, particularly women and youth, the Centre helps them integrate into the labour market and become active agents of positive change in their communities. Thanks to co-financing under the Polish development cooperation programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and the support of PAH donors, the centre’s activities were continued throughout 2021–2024.
In 2024, the Centre ran training courses in crocheting, photography, robotics, administration, solar energy, phone and computer repair and maintenance as well as sign language, attracting a total of 1,221 participants. On top of that, the Mobile Training Team organised single-day sessions across Lebanon focusing on building social cohesion, the need for peaceful coexistence between different groups within the country, and mutual respect. These workshops were attended by 1,337 people aged 10–17 from various parts of Lebanon.
Last year’s training did not go as planned. In September 2024, Israel launched a military operation in Lebanon, as a result of which Beirut came under fire. Out of concern for the safety of our local partner’s employees and training participants, we have decided to proceed with the online training only. This decision proved to be the right one – two days before the ceasefire (26 November 2024), a missile struck a building adjacent to the GLOW Centre, causing extensive damage to the Centre itself. Following the destruction of the Centre’s building, we made the decision to rebuild it using PAH’s own funds and part of the funds allocated for training, which resulted in a reduction in the number of training courses organised.
This year, the following training courses will be offered at the centre:
Each training course will be open to 120 participants, out of whom the top 10% will be selected based on their performance. These participants will receive support to develop their own social initiatives closely related to the training they have received. In 2026, these initiatives will be transformed into business ventures. This year, the Mobile Training Team will also continue its work, organising sessions for 800 children aged 10–17.
As part of the programme, in 2026 PAH plans to continue its training activities at the GLOW Centre and of the Mobile Training Team, as well as to establish cooperation with educational institutions in order to raise the level of education of children and youth and modernise infrastructure by installing solar panels in two educational facilities.
Project co-financed within the framework of the Polish development cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
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