Lebanon: New Pilot Program Supports 1,500 Poor Households through Economic Empowerment

BEIRUT – The Ministry of Social Affairs, the René Moawad Foundation and the World Bank launched today the Productive Economic Inclusion in Lebanon (PEIL) program, a pilot that aims to improve the livelihoods of 1,500 low-income Lebanese households, current beneficiaries of the Emergency Social Safety Net Program (ESSNP). Funded by a US$ 2.7 million grant from the Japan Social Development Fund, the PEIL program complements the ESSNP by providing a package of services to beneficiaries aimed at enhancing their household income, welfare, and resilience.

In line with the recently launched National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS), the Government of Lebanon is keen to adopt a comprehensive approach to social protection. Economic inclusion programs have indeed demonstrated their ability to strengthen sustainable pathways out of poverty. Productive Economic Inclusion is one of the core pillars of the NSPS and will complement ongoing government efforts across other pillars of the strategy. This PEIL pilot constitutes an entry point for a wider engagement on the economic empowerment of social assistance beneficiaries to help them transition from government cash transfers to sustainable livelihoods.

The PEIL program will leverage international best practice and evidence while adapting the design and implementation of the interventions to the local context and needs. The pilot program will support livelihood opportunities to one working-age member of 1,500 current ESSNP beneficiary households. The pilot will first conduct a local market assessment and detailed employment and skills profile of selected beneficiaries. Once these assessments are completed, a package of support services will be adapted to each beneficiary and will include an asset transfer (small agriculture equipment, cooking appliances, sewing/embroidery machines, paint brushes and other tools, etc.) training and business development support, coaching and mentoring, financial literacy training, and nudges to improve saving behaviors and attitudes. The PEIL pilot will be implemented over a period of approximately 12-18 months. Upon its completion, the results of the pilot will be evaluated to inform possible scale-up and replication.

Selected through a competitive process, the Rene Moawad Foundation will implement the pilot, building on its extensive experience in productive economic inclusion and empowerment initiatives throughout the country. The pilot will be implemented under the overall guidance of the Ministry of Social Affairs and coordinated through the Social Development Centers at the local level.