Empowering lives through skills: Sewing hope for displaced communities

Beirut, LEBANON (ILO News) – In response to Lebanon’s ongoing humanitarian and socio-economic crisis, the ILO, in collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), through the PROSPECTS partnership and with Caritas Lebanon run an initiative set to empower vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian individuals while supporting displaced communities affected by conflict.

This initiative has provided sewing training to some 100 women and men, equipping them with essential skills to access decent job opportunities. The training not only supported individual growth but also contributed to the community, with participants producing around 1,000 winterization kits including blankets and other winter essentials for displaced families in Lebanon.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 110,000 people remain internally displaced in the country due to the recent conflict.

Through 40 sessions, participants began with basic theoretical knowledge before progressing to practical exercises. Trainers emphasized the versatility of sewing, encouraging participants to leverage their skills for both personal and professional purposes. Some trainees viewed this as a pathway to self-employment, while others valued it as a means to improve their daily lives.

This initiative is part of the ILO's sustainable efforts in skills development and training to facilitate the transition from learning to employment.

It was also integrated into the ILO’s Emergency Response Plan addressing the impacts of the conflict in Lebanon. The plan focuses on enhancing social protection through immediate cash benefits, and more broadly sustaining jobs, enterprises and livelihoods, in keeping with the ILO’s mandate to advance social protection and ensure decent work opportunities and long-term economic sustainability.