Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Security concerns, combined with abject poverty and Lebanon’s discriminatory policies, has made Lebanon a challenging limbo destination for approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees. As an ongoing impact of war, community engagement, identity, and social networks remain fragmented. Within this backdrop, Multi-Aid Programs (MAPs), a local Syrian-led non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon aims to restore hope and dignity across the Syrian refugee community by providing holistic education, health, and livelihood programs. This research captures the impact of the Crochet Community Collective (CCC), a community development initiative designed and implemented by MAPs. Launched in July 2019, CCC brings together 45 vulnerable Syrian refugee and Lebanese women, fostering financial empowerment, creativity, friendship, relaxation, and self-reliance. Each artist receives a monthly salary, with remaining profits supporting MAPs’ primary schools. Anthropological methodologies will document the development of CCC, including the project’s challenges and achievements. Using PhotoVoice methodologies, the research project further empowers the crochet artists to tell their own stories while also building their capacity in photography - a pragmatic skill for artists. Presented as a photo essay, this research aims to engage the audience in the artists’ daily experiences, emotions and trajectories. CCC represents a microcosm of MAPs, as its mission is to activate community engagement by supporting Syrians to support Syrians. Early indications are that CCC provides an innovative and effective model for how to empower local communities to participate in development and the telling of their stories.