The Nature Conservation Center (NCC) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) has rolled out with its latest initiative that strives to secure the survival of Lebanese villages and keep our traditions alive.
Established in collaboration with Fondation Diane, AUB NCC’s new initiative is a platform called Mashroo3 created as part of the Daskara initiative to fund and support small projects of villagers.
Daskara shines the light on hidden gems and mom-and-pop shops located in remote areas of the country, giving them a chance at being discovered by local and foreign tourists and explorers.
However, weighed down by the pandemic, lockdowns, and the financial crisis, these small businesses and workshops are struggling to sustain themselves.
Here’s where Mashroo3 comes in to make a world of difference. It encourages projects that need funding to join the platform and creates a space for donors to simply select what they care about to donate to.
Every project that wants to join the platform must be endorsed and vouched for by at least three highly-regarded residents in its community.
Right now Mashroo3’s platform is featuring a workshop that’s keeping the ancient craft of carpet weaving alive and a gardener who grows and sells herbs and aromatic plants who is trying to build a greenhouse.
