Lebanon
WHERE WE WORK > LEBANON
Good Shepherd International Foundation in Lebanon
The Good Shepherd International Foundation, GSIF, supports the programs of Good Shepherd Sisters in Lebanon with fundraising, capacity building and international networking. The Good Shepherd Sisters created the Province of Lebanon and Syria in 1983 and it now counts on 40 sisters, 250 staff and 25 volunteers. In Lebanon they run programs in support of women and children, empowering them to become resilient, self-sustainable and well-balanced members of society. Overall, the programs serve 30,000 people every year.
Activities
Basic Health Care, educational activities for vulnerable children, psychosocial support to vulnerable women and girls victims of violence, food aid for vulnerable families, livelihoods.
- Social centre in Rouisset, Beirut;
- Community Health Care centre St Antoine in Beirut;
- Social centre in Deir El Ahmar (Bekaa Valley);
- Shelter for women and girls in Ain Saade; Shelter for girls in Sehaileh;
- Support to COVID 19 emergency;
- Support to tackle the consequences of the Beirut Explosion;
- Primary and Secondary school in Hammana;
- Shelter, social centre and listening centre, Psycho Social activities in Syria.
PROJECTS LOCATIONS
Beirut, Deir El Ahmar, Hammana, Ain Saade, Sehaileh, Damascus
HIGHLIGHTS
11
Projects
50,000
Beneficiaries
50
Local staff
AREAS OF INTERVENTION
COUNTRY BACKGROUND / OVERVIEW
Lebanon is deeply affected by decades of conflicts, corruption and political and economic crisis. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011, the country has known a massive influx of refugees (over 1.8 million). According to the UNHCR, over 1 in 4 people in Lebanon is a refugee. This represents a massive strain on the country’s infrastructure and economy. It is estimated that the Syrian crisis has cut the GDP growth by almost 3% and has doubled the unemployment rate in Lebanon. This economic crisis has reached a new low in October 2019, triggering a civil uproar.
Domestic violence is a prevalent yet underrated problem in Lebanon. According to a survey (KAFA, 2016), about a third of women living in Lebanon have experienced intimate partner violence. The Lebanese society is still deeply patriarchal and such violence is socially accepted amongst most communities. On the legal level, the country lacks adequate laws to criminalize such violence and protect the victims. For instance, marital rape is not considered a crime or infraction. As of today, victims and children rely solely on services and support provided by NGOs such as the Good Shepherd Sisters The World Bank analysis of this situation is particularly alarming, stating that over half the population could soon be living under the poverty line. Women and children, especially displaced ones, are the most affected by this situation. In times of conflict and economic crisis, violence against women and children tends to increase, while access to basic services such as education, healthcare, food assistance and social services becomes more difficult.
Facts and figures
92/189 ranking UNDP Human Development Index (2019)
