RISE UP LEBANON

In Solidarity We Stand

Donate now to help re-build Lebanese Micro and Small Businesses affected by the massive explosion in Beirut.

On August 4, 2020, Lebanon's capital Beirut underwent a massive explosion destroying 90% of the city's infrastructure and succumbing over 150 deaths, over 4000 injured, destroyed houses and businesses. The country has already been suffering since 2019 from a series of hardships including:

- Economic calamity

- Massive unemployment

- The Lebanese currency losing 60% of its value in less than 1 year

- The COVID-19 pandemic

- And now the explosion in the heart of the capital

Altogether leaving affected people and businesses with little or no means to repair and rebuild what has been destroyed, or sustain after this tragedy.

Our aim is to raise funds to support the most vulnerable micro and small businesses (up to 4-6 employees) affected by the explosion. We are talking about the small bakeries, grocery stores, hairdressers, small retailers and traders, etc. to repair their only source of income and become operational again the soonest possible.

We’re targeting Ammo Fouad’s Dekkeni, Tante Salma’s Bakery, Dany’s Hair Salon, Sara’s Sandwiches, etc...all these people who make our daily lives better and who need us today.

It is only by putting our hands together that we can rise again and grow stronger from the pain.

We are calling people in Lebanon and abroad to support in any way possible. No amount is too little. With the local currency depreciation, any contribution will make a huge difference.

With this initiative we will:

1) Collect funds to support the most vulnerable micro and small businesses

2) Work hand-in-hand with those businesses to decide where to invest the money

3) Roll-up our sleeves and accompany the business owners until their business is up and running again.

It's difficult for us to imagine Beirut without our favorite Beirutis, let’s help them rebuild!

More context for the ones who want to know more:

Who are we?

A team of Professional Lebanese nationals, some working in Lebanon and some abroad who are willing to put their hands together and deploy their management expertise in supporting MSEs affected by this explosion. In this tragic time, we but shift our focus to a humanitarian one. We decided to mobilize our resources and networks in Lebanon and abroad to help collect both material and non-material donations and support to help these businesses. We will ensure all our professional capabilities are invested alongside the funds collected to help the business owners rebuilding the right way and adapting to the new economical landscape.

We remain available if you have any questions.

Contacts you can reach out to :

John Achkar: +961 3 107596

Rana Karam: +961 78 868156

Tracy Achkar: +33 6 43864318

Why are we doing this and why businesses?

It’s heartwarming to see the different and most needed aid initiatives that were quickly mobilized to help rebuild the homes in the city and support the families who lost loved ones and shelters. Today, we would like to add another angle as well to the help people to rebuild their businesses and source of living.

For the ones who don’t have any sort of financial aid to sustain after this tragedy (family abroad, banks, NGOs, etc.). For the ones who, without this help, will simply not be able to provide for their families and will not survive. This support will help them reopen their shop, repair their fishing hook, and be able to generate the monthly income they need for their household.

How it will work:

In parallel to this we are creating an intake form to collect information about the people and businesses in need. Our aim is to support ~100 micro and small businesses. Our aid will not only be material but we will also ensure we accompany these families and businesses in making decisions on where to invest the money to adapt to the changing economic landscape and be able to survive (for example in simple terms, it might make sense for Tante Salma to buy a food-safe delivery vehicle instead of building a bigger Bakery). We will accompany them throughout implementation until we ensure their businesses are up and running again. We will not be providing funds directly, we will be buying the materials and assets they need to re-open.

Who will be eligible:

- Micro and Small businesses in the affected areas of Beirut

- 4-6 employees

- Limited access to other types of financing (family, banks, micro-financing institutions, NGOs, etc.)

- The targeted business should constitute the household’s main income

- The fund investment should help the owner to open her or his shop again (we will be buying the material and assets to ensure the funds are used towards this objective)

- Official business registration is not mandatory (we are talking about the really small and most vulnerable businesses)

- Owner should be working in the business

- No insurance coverage

Accountability and reporting:

We will ensure full transparency on our activities. We will publish a full report with matched receipts detailing how the money was used and the impact we were all able to make with the donations.