The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) arranged two launching ceremonies for its UNICEF-funded Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) pilot project in Bedneyel and Baalbeck on the 22nd and the 23rd of August, 2016 respectively. The six-month project is expected to be a breakthrough in Baalbeck-Hermel cadaster in terms of ingraining new mindset and techniques based on sorting waste from the source.
Bedneyel
The ceremony was conducted in Bedneyel Municipal Palace in the presence of mukhtars, public key figures, religious figures, municipal members, and NGO representatives. Several speeches were given in which all showed great interest in the project’s idea and were ready to give a hand in leading it to success. The municipality offered its support and cooperation for any environmental activities to be implemented in Bednayel neighborhoods to get out the best from these neighborhoods where waste sorting containers will be distributed. Some incentive activities include unifying garages’ colors, planting trees, and arranging a cleaning campaign to promote the process of sorting waste from the source.
Baalbeck
Earlier to the ceremony, LOST WaSH team, in compliance with Baalbek municipality, planted three trees with lights at their bottom in the specified place of the event. The ceremony took place in Ghareeb Yard where some key figures of the region attended the event, added to the neighborhood’s people. A speech was given to identify the project’s goal, its importance for the region, and its future impact. The ambitious project is expected to support the area with waste sorting containers. It will also include several encouraging activities that will benefit Baalbek in general and Ouseira neighborhood in particular, such as providing Ouseira Street with solar light bulbs and rehabilitating a public garden.
The audience was impressed with the gesture of planting the trees and lighting them as to the aesthetic touch it added to the yard.
WaSH pilot project is a primary step that LOST and UNICEF work on improving it to guarantee a wider outreach in Baalbeck-Hermel region which is in bad need for such revolutionary practices as sorting from the source. The success of this pilot project will definitely be an added value to the social, environmental, and health status in the region.
