RISE2030 is a community-led initiative that focuses on empowering women and youth, aiming at capacity building and improving living conditions through access to education and employment. RISE2030 launched the first all-women solar team in Lebanon to challenge the gender stereotypes in the male-dominated construction sector. Thirteen female trainees installed a solar system at a waste sorting and material recovery facility in Qaraoun. The project was implemented in The Federation of Bouhayra Municipalities, which serves more than 18 municipalities around the Qaraoun Lake.
Renewable Energy and Waste Management: RISE2030 community members were trained and educated to design and install an on-grid solar photovoltaic system that would cover 100% of the facility's daily need for power and later a second team installed a solar tree in the public garden. In addition, the management team leading this project is composed of mostly women, with a total of 147 women involved and benefiting from the activity. The project also helped female-led small businesses prepare and sell their rural processed food through the women's association of the town. The project was hailed as a national success, as the first all-women team in solar energy in Lebanon.
Key facts
- RISE2030 launched the first all-women solar team in Lebanon in the construction sector, where less than 1% are women in the general workforce.
- 147 women are involved and directly benefiting from the activity in Bekaa, executed with German government funding and implemented by GIZ and RISE2030, in collaboration with WECF Germany and OTB Consult.
- 60 women are being trained in North and Mount Lebanon with RMF under the Women Economic Empowerment Project. The project is funded by The Canadian Embassy and implemented by UNDP. Additionally, the project was launched during the COVID-19 lockdown and thus started with online training.
- All of the activity’s beneficiaries are undeserved youth, women and refugees in a disadvantaged region – 8% were disabled, and 42% were refugees.
The challenge
Lebanon is a highly urbanized, middle income country with most of its population in coastline cities that are vulnerable to climate-related sea-level rise. Reduced rainfall and increased temperature will result in a decrease in snow level, a vital water source, which will negatively impact on Lebanon’s water supply, particularly during the period for high demand of water for irrigation.
Compounding these issues, Lebanon faced a financial and economic collapse last October, the COVID-19 crisis in February 2020 and a massive explosion in August 2020.
On August 4, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at Beirut’s port exploded, killing more than 220 people and injuring more than 6,500. Some 300,000 people have left homeless, with scores still reported missing. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, efforts were focused on providing immediate lifesaving assistance and protection to those affected by the blast.
The solution
RISE2030 empowers women and youth while contributing to Lebanon’s energy transition by providing sustainable education on renewable energy and employment in disadvantaged regions of Lebanon. RISE2030 builds on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and intended to be achieved by 2030. Working on 13 out of the 17 SDGs, RISE2030 aims at promoting and achieving justice, equality, sustainability, and peace.
Helping the planet
RISE2030 implemented a community installation activity at the waste sorting and material recovery facility in Qaraoun, serving Al Bohaira Federation of Municipalities. The facility receives municipal solid waste from 6 municipalities and performs a range of activities to recover material and achieve higher recycling rates. This includes waste sorting, baling, storing, and moving.
RISE2030 community members were trained and educated to design and install an on-grid solar photovoltaic system that would cover 100% of the facility's daily need for power. Qaroun Material Recovery Facility is a model for sustainable facilities, reducing waste volume, promoting circular economy, and running on solar. This is powered by a community of newly-skilled labor of young women and men, ready to hit the solar market.
Helping people
RISE2030 is built on three major pillars: empowerment, equality, and sustainability. That’s why RISE2030 launched the first all-women solar team to challenge the gender stereotypes in the male-dominated construction sector, which has less than 1% women in the total workforce.
The project was also launched in rural areas where women have much lower access to basic human rights, which had an exponential impact on a national level. The solar training for women was also replicated in North Lebanon and Mount Lebanon under the Women Economic Empowerment Project with The Embassy of Canada, UNDP and RMF.
Thirteen female trainees installed the system and 19 women associations and small business supported the project through food production. The project helped female-led small businesses and women in the cooperatives prepare and sell their rural food through the town’s women’s association. The management team leading this project is also mostly women.
RISE2030 assisted female farmers during the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown to help ensure organic production and food distribution to underserved areas in coordination with WASD. Adding to the difficulty, people were already suffering from the financial and economic crisis prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation became even worse with the lockdown leaving more than half of the population without access to employment, food, healthcare and basic necessities.
RISE2030 later initiated a direct response to the Beirut Explosion entitled “Beirut Blast” on 5 August 2020 to help those affected by the blast. RISE2030 assisted teams on the ground in the reconstruction and recycling to ensure a sustainable rebuilding of the capital.
Spillover effect
The activity is being replicated in many areas, municipalities and regions on a national level. RISE2030 is also looking to expand the model to a global level.
Images owned by the activity partners, all rights reserved.
