Near East Foundation - NEF Builds Upon Past Successes; Conducts Credit Workshop for Lebanese NGOs Serving Disabled

During six days of intense training and two more days of field trips, representatives from a dozen Lebanese community-based organizations working with the disabled throughout the country-most of them landmine victims themselves--learned how to design, manage and strengthen local credit funds.

The Near East Foundation workshop was conducted in cooperation with Norwegian People's Aid by NEF staffers Majdi Al Qorom, program manager in Jordan, and Qassem Dieri. It took place in Beirut with field work in the southern part of the country in Nabatieh, where NEF organized one of its original credit funds for the disabled--instrumental in our selection as trainer and manager of the Norwegian grant. Previously NEF developed community-based credit funds here with support from Jacobs Family Foundation and a local partner organization and over the years learned a lot.

"This is just one more--and a very good-example of what we have seen over and over again," commented NEF Regional Director Roger Hardister, "that when given proper orientation and training, credit funds provide NGOs across a wide spectrum with the means for meaningful alternatives to meet the diverse problems and needs of their clients. With credit," Hardister continued, "you can tailor the service to the individual and his or her family in a way that more limited, traditional programs are unable to do."

Nineteen people attended the October workshop-health care and social workers, educators and researchers, women and the disabled-with from one to 10 years of professional experience. They did well, judging from the final evaluation, including an 84 percent content score.

"The workshop's strength was in the practical expertise NEF trainers provided," went the representative opinion of Diala Getish of the Lebanese Red Crescent, who drew a comparison with past theoretical emphasis. Hassan Al Shareef of Norwegian People's Aid was particularly impressed by the workshop's field trips, "...amazing and well prepared...we all had the chance to see the results from the disabled landmine victims themselves and observe first hand their integration into the community."

According to Jordanian Program Manager Qorom, workshop goals ranged from large to very specific: "We define community-based credit as a process and a need within the general framework of development," and he added with emphasis, "development that is both participatory and sustainable. These are core principles woven into any training NEF delivers," he commented. Specifics of the workshop included such fundamentals as credit policies and procedures, client and business selection, bookkeeping and financial management.

To strengthen credit fund operations in Lebanon, NEF and Norwegian People's Aid made two recommendations. The first was development of a standardized lending system explaining the policies and procedures to be followed. Toward that end NEF presented a draft manual to be adjusted for local Lebanese circumstances and target groups. Secondly, they urged follow up monitoring of lending practices to evaluate the impact of their training, which NEF will be contracted to do in the future.