Under the Water Sanitation and Conservation (WSC) Project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Faculty of Engineering (FOE) at the University of Balamand (UOB), in collaboration with the International Center for Water Management Services (CEWAS) and the Lebanese Water Actors Platform (LEWAP), is launching a training program targeting Lebanese Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) who are active and interested in the topics of water and sanitation. The training program, “Engage: Capacity Development of Civil Society Organizations to engage in Water and Sanitation,” is led by Dr. Yasmine Jabali, an Assistant Professor at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at FOE.
A delegation from the USAID-funded Water Sanitation and Conservation Project, consisting of Mr. Scott Short, Chief of Party and signatory, Ms. Marwa El Kik, Grants Manager, and Ms. Angela Hayek, Civic Engagement Officer, visited UOB for the grant signing. The team was warmly welcomed by Dr. Elias Warrak, President of UOB, Prof. Rami Abboud, Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Salim Kanaan, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Alumni Relations, Prof. George Bahr, Acting Provost Professor, Dr. Youssef Bassim, Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Yasmine Jabali, UOB Project Lead to the Engage Project funded by the USAID through WSC, and Ms. Joy Ishak, FOE Engagement Officer and Project MEAL Specialist.
The project aims to enhance the capacity of Lebanese CSOs equipping them with comprehensive knowledge and skills related to the administration, finance, management, and implementation of sustainable development projects in the water sector. This is achieved through two outputs and a series of activities including a solid mapping and selection of CSOs including needs assessment; a comprehensive face-to-face and online training program on scientific, administrative, financial and behavioral change aspects; knowledge management and exchange through interactive platforms and networking; as well as the implementation of small-scale action plans and on-the-job learning accompanied by coaching, mentoring, and a community of practice.
The University of Balamand is spearheading this crucial project, that has attracted international partners from CEWAS (Switzerland) and Ps-Eau (France), the latter through its local Lebanese platform LEWAP. The project’s total budget is 329,470 USD and is slated for completion within a 14-month timeframe.
Prof. Rami Abboud, commended Dr. Jabali’s for her visionary approach in responding to the WSC call and her efforts in contributing to the development of the community and environment. He stressed the importance of international collaboration in addressing global challenges in meeting the UN SDGs. Prof. Abboud strongly believes that these kind of projects are a significant step towards achieving our academic mission, as well as reaching our educational and surely our sustainable goals.
