Advisory Board: Della Boutrous, Esq.; Roy Eidson, American Help for Lebanon Association; Dan Fiorino, American University (Washington, DC); Gaelle Maroun, French teacher and translator.
Evolve (aka Evolve Adult School) is a registered nonprofit organization in Lebanon (Registration #1038/2021) and a 501(c)(3) public charity in the United States. Evolve’s mission is to empower women and youth through vocational training and education, also offering protection against human trafficking and violence. We focus on providing resources, relationships, and support networks to help these populations achieve financial independence and long-term stability.
Ain Arab is one of the smaller municipalities among the highland agricultural communities in the Rachaya District of the Bekaa Governate in Lebanon. Ain Arab sits approximately 100 kilometers east of Beirut and about 50 kilometers west of Damascus, Syria. Of Ain Arab’s approximately 800 permanent residents, some are farmers and others of working age commute to larger towns and Beirut. The proposed guest house will not only provide lodgings for visitors, but a gathering place for community events and marketing of local agricultural products.
Maamariyeh is a municipality of approximately 3,000 located about ten kilometers from the Litani River in the Southern Governate of Lebanon. Maamariyeh lies seven kilometers from Al-Zahrani and two from Ghazieh, serving as a central hub for the surrounding communities. Surrounding Maamariyeh are substantial agricultural and forested areas — including olive groves, citrus fields, and woodlands – on which most residents rely for their household needs and some for income. The proposed streetlighting and civil defense center will yield new income-generating opportunities.
The American Help for Lebanon Association is Illumi-Nation Global’s cooperating village partner. AHLA is a U.S. nonprofit, tax-exempt organization sharing Illumi’s humanitarian mission to promote reliable, affordable solar energy. AHLA connected Illumi-Nation Global with the mayor and other residents of Maamariyeh, who, like the people of Ain Arab, need sustainable electrical power to pump water from the local well for critical irrigation needs.
The American Task Force on Lebanon is the premier nonprofit advocacy organization for maintaining and strengthening bilateral and citizen-to-citizen relations with Lebanon. ATFL supports Illumi’s networking efforts across the U.S.-based diaspora through its research, policy analysis, webinars, and other activities.