2022
Lebanon Tuktuk Project
Type of campaign
Lebanon Tuktuk Project
Regions covered
Beqaa Valley ( Bar Elias)
Projects undertaken
Supplying tuktuks as an income opportunity for vulnerable families.
Campaign objective
We aim to remove people from the cycle of poverty by creating job opportunities. A tuktuk offers the chance for people to generate income for their households.
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries – The tuktuk driver and their immediate families.
Secondary Beneficiaries – The wider community who benefit from the tuktuks, such as those living in the refugee camps where car access is difficult. Children in the camps who can’t get to school. Emergency medical cases where waiting for a taxi would be the difference between life and death.
Duration
Ongoing – commenced September 2021
Funding
Initial funding: community fundraising – This project is an income generating initiative where the proceeds and profit go back into purchasing new vehicles.
We started with a fleet of 5 and now we have 16 (funded through a combination of donations and proceeds from the project).
Why we've funded this campaign
The levels of unemployment in Lebanon have increased at such a rapid rate that many able people are now relying on handouts to get by. This project aims to slowly get some of the most vulnerable families back on their feet by creating job opportunities and a means for them to work and fend for themselves.
Progress
What is the objective?
We hope to expand and replicate this project in different parts of Lebanon and to help as many people as possible earn a living and restore their dignity.
Online Video
Who does this campaign help?
There are few opportunities for employment or work in Lebanon; the crash of the Lebanese Lira, combined with political instability, means that many professions are no longer needed and many people have been struck off. This campaign helps not just the beneficiaries, but also the local community, providing a cheaper method of alternative travel. The increasing price of petrol means that travel costs in taxis have more than doubled, so tuktuks provide a cheaper alternative that families are able to use to move around.
How has the campaign been going?
The campaign has been very successful, with multiple beneficiaries earning a living and supporting their local communities, generating donor interest in supporting this Sadaqah Jariyah project.
Did the campaign encounter any obstacles?
The price increases in the country mean that the cost of fuel and maintenance can fluctuate for the beneficiaries, and sometimes during turmoil there is not much opportunity to work.
How has this campaign changed lives?
One example is a young man called Aboude, who used to work in graphic design; due to the war and the economic crisis, he became unemployed. He used to pay Zakat, then he became Zakat eligible himself. Now, after becoming a beneficiary in this project, he has managed to pay off all his, and his family’s, debts, and is supporting his community and those around him by offering free transport to those who need it. This is just one of many cases that highlight the importance of this project and how we can truly bring about positive change.
What’s next for this campaign?
We’re planning to expand into other impoverished parts of Lebanon where unemployment levels are high and there is a need for intervention to create opportunities as part of our sustainability and livelihood campaign.
Donate now
Donate a tuktuk today for just £3000 and help a family get back on their feet, with this great Sadaqah Jariyah project.
