Despite the great challenges that she faced from changing the mindset, breaking the barriers of sectarian, sectarian and regional differences, and building trust to enhance the sense of national belonging, Mrs. May Makhzoumi, the President of Makhzoumi Foundation, did not give up and worked to empower women by entering the field of work, gender equality and giving young people the opportunity to learn new technologies that enable them to improve their economic and social conditions and gave special attention to the environment, and relied on training and vocational education programs with the aim of encouraging the demand for knowledge, stimulating self-reliance, and acquiring professions that enable the beneficiaries to integrate into society, and obtain material independence to keep pace with the economic wheel, such as programming, informatics, handicrafts and crafts, culinary art, Computers and accounting, and women’s grooming and make-up, among others, with the latest educational aids.
Out of a strong desire to help empower the citizen, the Foundation provides small loans to owners of small projects and low and medium-income employees who wish to expand their work and is keen to implement development projects aimed at empowering individuals and groups by providing them with skills, to make a change within society in addition to projects that aim to promote the concept of sustainable development.
In this context, Al Kalima Online met with the mighty woman whose name was associated with the name of Makhzoumi Foundation, and this meeting was:
You provide a lot of assistance, most notably the annual food aid, especially in the holy month of Ramadan. What is your plan this year with the increasing economic decline?
For 24 years, the work of Makhzoumi Foundation has never stopped, we have always worked as a beehive with one goal: to empower the community. This empowerment bore many aspects: health through the health program, academically through the vocational training program, awareness-raising through the Environment and Development Program, and professionally through the microcredit program, and community support through the relief and social assistance program.
In the holy month, as every year, Makhzoumi Foundation will not fail to support those in need. This year, we launched the “Kilna La Baad\ All for Each Other” campaign, where tens of thousands of food items purchase vouchers were distributed, in addition to hundreds of bread bundles every day as part of the “My Bread Is Yours” initiative. To help and empower, different frameworks are also included in “All for Each Other” campaign, including educational lectures on proper nutrition in Ramadan, how to maintain good health during fasting, a course to teach the recitation of the Holy Qur’an, and the weekly Ramadan Riddles competition.
Did you notice a difference between the past years and this year in the most destitute families?
Unfortunately, the successive crises afflicting us in Lebanon have burdened a large segment of Lebanese society, and increased the burden on them. The stifling economic conditions, and the difficult health conditions, made the middle class equal to the poor, and increased the gap between the classes of society.
Despite all the circumstances, we all hope for a better tomorrow, and we will continue to work, with all our strength and capabilities, to support and empower our society on all levels.
Mrs. May, you have been appointed as an international envoy in the field of humanitarian diplomacy. What has this title added to your professional and humanitarian career?
In fact, this title adds a great responsibility, because it adds to social responsibility a humanitarian responsibility, not only in Lebanon, but also in other countries. As through our work at Makhzoumi Foundation and my participation in several boards of other educational and advisory institutions, it will be a dual role, to share my experience in all areas that lead to the best results in matters of sustainability, and based on international standards for the seventeen goals approved by the United Nations. As well as participating in representing the regional network for social responsibility when the need arises, and presenting studies and papers during discussions and workshops.
What are your future projects and ambitions?
I would have liked to go on recounting many aspirations that I hope and dream to reach, but what is happening in Lebanon in particular, and the world as a whole, has changed the way we work and how we look at things. What we used to consider to be a normal matter has become insurmountable.
What I aspire to is to continue what we do, despite all the obstacles we face, in order for us to be able to serve the community. I hope that we will persevere all developments. Reaching out and communicating with other countries will be an incentive to transfer our expertise to those who need it. As well as developing and refining our skills and obtaining standard certificates, which helps us to work on different projects. In conclusion, we hope that all the ordeals that Lebanon is going through will end, so that we can live a decent life and work to achieve equality, justice and progress in life.
Original article: http://www.alkalimaonline.com/Newsdet.aspx?id=569584&fbclid=IwAR0Jwq8daO9lHp8DGspsAhaudxmduXLmYil7a9LZZpJl6bZ-9Xnak3bEe7c