A women’s cooperative in the village of Harris, south Lebanon, has benefitted from UNIFIL’s donation, enabling the women of the area to prepare food items for mass consumption. 

The recent UNIFIL donation – that includes machineries such as spice grinder, thyme and sumac grinder, freezer, oven, Keshk [typical Lebanese product prepared for winter] grinder with a sieve, large grinder for beans and other grains – was part of the Mission’s Quick Impact Project (QIP).

UNIFIL QIPs are small-scale, rapidly implementable projects which are intended to address some of the most pressing needs of the population and support local authorities while strengthening links between UNIFIL and local communities.

The head of al-Imad Cooperative Association for Rural Foods, Nawal Jawad, is elated about the project.

“If we were to grind large quantities so as to be displayed in exhibitions, we used to grind the spices in faraway places where there are grinders, and in that process we spend large sums of money, not to mention the wages of transportation and labour,” said Ms. Jawad. “This grinder saved us all this money and effort.”

The al-Imad association is one of the women cooperatives in Bint Jbeil, which has been in partnership with and receiving support from UNIFIL since 2005.

Deputy Mayor of Harris, Ali Nassour, said the project will address one of the needs of the village, adding that he is looking forward to more cooperation with UNIFIL in the future.

UNIFIL’s Civil Affairs Officer Nasser Sabbah, who was involved in the implementation of this project, explained, “The equipment and machines will contribute to increasing and improving the productivity of the association, in addition to helping women – not only in the association but also the women in local community.”

In addition to their core peacekeeping duties, UNIFIL regularly carries out various small-scale activities with the host communities.