31 years after having raised the slogan ‘Together for the Sake of the Country and the Citizen’, Amel received official international recognition in 2010, which further promoted its partnership with numerous international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the European Union, etc.

Amel’s approach is based on a plan of three Ps, ‘Principle-Position-Practice’, and its motto is positive thinking and everlasting optimism. The association comprises roughly 600 activists aspiring to narrow down social and regional inequalities and to build a civil state where all citizens enjoy equal opportunities and well-being.

Since 2001, Amel has had special consultative status within the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It is also a member of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies and a founding member of the assembly of non-governmental organizations.

The association aims to support underprivileged segments through programs that address health care, rural development, vocational training, child protection, human rights and refugee assistance.

Activities

The devotion exhibited by Amel in delivering high-quality services and promoting development programs has helped the association earn vast trust and reputation among the public. The scope of its projects covers health, development, human rights and education to name but a few.

Health Sector

In addition to its twelve medical centers, Amel has three movable dispensaries designed to reach vulnerable individuals who are incapable of visiting its fixed facilities. Since the exacerbation of the plight of the Syrian refugees, the association has been operating its three dispensaries on a daily basis in those regions in Lebanon where there are refugees to provide assistance to the sick, the children and pregnant women. An average of 70 to 100 medical check-ups is provided every day.

The medical assistance offered by Amel’s medical centers is estimated at approximately 1500 services per month. While children under five years of age and pregnant women do not have to pay for the offered health care, other patients are charged affordable fees aimed to help the association maintain its high-quality care, against the backdrop of the limited support from the Lebanese government and international donors.

Development of Human Capacity

Since its establishment, Amel has demonstrated undisputed capability to transform the life of both men and women, old and young, who live on the fringes of society in the marginalized areas, through training courses in sewing and embroidery, hairdressing, nursing, languages, car mechanics, computer literacy, etc. Amel’s collaboration with the Byblos Institute in Harat Hreik has yielded the formation of a center for practical training under the slogan ‘Humanizing the Private Sector and Professionalizing the Human Sector’ aimed at providing employment for beneficiaries and integrating them in the labor market. The association has also established an agricultural co-op for rural development in Ebl El-Saqi, south of Lebanon, which has given 320 women and 100 shepherds the opportunity to have training in soap production, herbal medicine and basic oils. The co-op was furnished with the necessary equipment and accredited marketing strategies were utilized to help the co-op achieve self-sustainability. Amel’s imprint was also felt in the suburbs of Beirut where it opened a craft center in Ain El-Roummaneh to involve women in artisan work and teach them certain crafts such as jewelry-making. The center has opened its doors to Syrian women who have sought refuge in Lebanon to help them earn their living, even if only partially, by making and selling accessories.

Education

In the field of education, the Amel Association International is known for its implementation of an educational program that targets the children of Iraqi refugees in Lebanon. However, the tragic displacement of the Syrians has proven to be beyond the association’s capacity. For this reason, Amel has taken the shared responsibility with Caritas and Save the Children to facilitate the enrollment of 10,100 Syrian refugee children in public schools in South Lebanon and the Beqa’a region.

Over 800 children of school age have also benefited from the association’s Accelerated Learning Programs and remedial classes were given to roughly 1470 participants in order to bridge the gap between the Lebanese and the Syrian educational curricula.

In addition to the foregoing, Amel subsidizes the education of 3000 Syrian refugee children in the suburbs of Beirut.

Child Protection

In coordination with the UNICEF, the Amel Association International implements the Child Protection Program targeting both Lebanese and Syrian refugee children, especially since the traumas the Syrian children have suffered in their home land and the dire living conditions they are facing here coupled with their forceful abandonment of their familiar environment have left them with mental health issues. The child protection activities are currently undertaken in six centers in the Beqa’a region and Beirut and more than 600 children have participated in the program, a number that is likely to rise in the future.

The Program organizes recreational activities for children and awareness sessions for parents on potential risks such as security deterioration, street bullying, early marriage, local violence and child labor. It is also noteworthy that the Amel House of Human Rights headquartered in Beirut conducts summer courses on international law and the armed conflict.

Future Projects and Challenges

Amel is currently seeking to obtain a license to open a university and work is under way to set up a branch of the association in the US after having initiated branches in Europe, not to mention its indefatigable pursuit to expand its existing services and activities and to reach out to the largest possible segments of the population.

The greatest challenge facing Amel is funding because the need remains always greater than what the resources can meet. The fees paid by beneficiaries account for 53% of the association’s budget in addition to the revenues collected from the annual local support events.

Highest among the issues of concern hindering the action of Amel are the absence of institutional insight and the failure to acknowledge the existence of others as well as the lack of rationality in addressing the concerns of citizens.