CHF International
CHF International has a proven
international reputation for effective, efficient, and inclusive
community building. Our core strengths are in microfinance and microenterprise development, local organizational capacity building,
community-led development projects, leveraging resources, building
public/private partnerships, and effective technical skills
transfer. We believe that credit provision and strong local
partnerships are important tools that stimulate local economic
development and strengthen peace and stability. We see our programs
as the building blocks to peaceful, prosperous, and democratic
societies. We develop program models adapted to local needs and
priorities, and our initiatives are formed on a sound economic
basis, foster self-sufficiency, and promote environmental
sustainability. Once tested at the community level, our programs are
often scaled up for regional or national implementation.
CHF International is successful
because it brings together the people, organizations and resources
necessary to ensure steady, sustainable change. Our programs ensure
that individuals, families and communities:
-
Begin to participate in the decisions that impact
their lives;
-
Learn to work together to solve their own problems;
-
Are
provided with the tools and skills needed to escape from the
bonds of poverty;
-
Form
productive partnerships that will sustain the cycle of progress;
and
-
Develop confidence in their ability to create a
brighter, more prosperous future for themselves and their
communities.
CHF
International/ Lebanon
Since 1997, CHF International has been working in a
wide variety of programmatic arenas in Lebanon, ranging from quick
impact projects to more complex economic development and education
programming.
The Rural
Economic Development Initiative (REDI – funded by
USAID) focused on
repairing damage resulting from the 16-year civil war through the
creation and technical support of cluster project committees, which
not only resulted in community driven projects, but also brought
together splintered communities through the development process. In
coordination with the REDI program, CHF designed and implemented 2
USDA programs (USDA 416-b and Agro-Business and Community
Infrastructure – ABCI Program) focusing on the economic development
of the target communities through investing in agribusiness and
community infrastructure by diversifying economic opportunities,
improving and rehabilitating agricultural infrastructure and
increasing disposable incomes. Through the three year, on-going
Environmentally Appropriate Rural Technologies (EARTH) Initiative
(funded by
USAID), CHF International is establishing a sustainable,
environmentally sound, and cost-effective waste management facility
in Zahleh. In addition, through our Clustering for Economic
Development and Revitalization of Industry Sectors (CEDARS– funded
by
USAID) and
CEDARSplus program (funded by
USAID) and Access to
Microfinance and Enhanced Enterprises Niches (AMEEN) programs, CHF
linked rural farmers to new markets, improved agriculture
techniques, and provided entrepreneurs and farmers with access to
credit. Under the USDOL
ACCESS-MENA program, CHF works to combat
child labor by providing educational opportunities to the most
vulnerable children in urban centers of Lebanon. Through these
programs in Lebanon, CHF has implemented projects in all major
regions and cities in the country. Furthermore, CHF is implementing
three new programs (Humanitarian Assistance in Lebanon
– Phases I,
II, and III) in response to the latest conflict in Lebanon aimed at
providing life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to families
directly impacted by the conflict. Program activities primarily
cover water and sanitation, access to health services, improved
livelihood, psychological interventions and the provision of food
and non food items to the affected population, in addition to
improving the ability of conflict-affected persons to rapidly
restore their communities and resume gainful economic activity in a
sustainable manner. Moreover, CHF was recently awarded the Lebanon
Education Assistance for Development (LEAD) program to be
implemented in 55 public schools in North Lebanon and Mount Lebanon.
The LEAD program will enhance the educational environment through
minor infrastructure improvements, increased equipment and supplies
that can be practically applied to current curricula, and the
promotion of an integrated educational environment through awareness
raising campaigns and extracurricular activities that promote
tolerance, community involvement, and leadership.
