The team of Our Lady Dispensary (OLD), which is affiliated to the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and located in Sabtiyeh - Lebanon, helped 400 deprived Lebanese, Syrian and Iraqi families protect themselves against COVID-19.

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Through their ongoing activities, the Diakonia department and the Department for the Service of Palestinian refugees (DSPR) continue to serve the weak and the poor, especially during this exceptional period resulting from the widespread outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and its economic and social repercussions on the Middle East.

MECC rehabilitated WASH facilities in three schools in Rural Damascus in addition to a school in Aleppo in order to improve the hygienic conditions at those establishments. 2462 students and school staff benefited from this rehabilitation.

Amid the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, the team of Our Lady Dispensary (OLD), which is affiliated to the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and located in Sabtiyeh - Lebanon, helped 400 deprived Lebanese, Syrian and Iraqi families protect themselves against COVID-19. The team distributed hygiene kits to those families in addition to flyers including visual guidance to raise awareness about prevention methods.

Pursuing its goal to serve society by supporting the novel Coronavirus prevention measures, MECC manufactured 5000 face masks that meet international standards.

MECC supported workers in the dairy industry – cattle raising and dairy production, processing and retail - in nine different areas in Dara’a Governorate. The livestock project targeted 460 families. MECC distributed 2 tons of fortified fodder and 20 liter-stainless steel milk containers to 400 breeders who own 900 cows.

MECC distributed barley seeds to 600 farmers in Dara’a Governorate in order to support the agricultural sector. The distributed seeds are sufficient to plant 1.5 hectares per beneficiary. In addition, MECC covered the costs of land cultivation and seed sowing.

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At the invitation of the World Council of Churches, Agape and Churchinvest foundations to the international conference entitled “Impactful cooperation” which took place in Geneva/ Switzerland on 17-18 January 2020 in the premises of WCC, the Middle East Council of Churches participated in the event and was represented by Mr. Samer Laham, director of the Diakonia Department and Ecumenical Relief Services.

MECC Diakonia department has helped 1735 families to overcome the extreme cold, which is one of the biggest challenges during the severe winter. Therefore, these returnee families in many villages of Daraa Rural, have received winter clothes kits and coats.

MECC team distributed in kind kits to displaced and affected families by the Syrian crisis in a number of villages in Rural Damascus, Rural Hama and Rural Homs.

1008 families, including female-headed households, adults and 21 children with special needs and disabilities, benefited from these Individual and family hygiene kits in addition to blankets and school kits.

The MECC Diakonia department in Lebanon organized a health awareness training at its “Our Lady Dispensary” in Sabtiyye, for four consecutive weeks. In collaboration with “ACT Alliance” organization, this program ended at the Syrian Orthodox Archdiocese’s hall in Sabityeh.

The MECC Diakonia Department in Syria has rehabilitated six schools in Dara’a Al Balad and Kherbet Ghazaleh areas in Dara’a Governorate. 2625 students will benefit from the project that included the rehabilitation of classrooms,

Within the framework of its WASH program, MECC rehabilitated 24 shops in Aleppo and Dara’a governorates,

The training targeted 46 women; 21 women in Altal learned the basics of crocheting and making hand-crocheted accessories, while 25 women in Izra’a city learned the basics of crocheting and making handbags and baskets in different colors and sizes.

MECC launched a waste management campaign in Dara’a Al Balad and Ma’araba cities in Dara’a Governorate within it Cash for Work Program.

40 women from Aleppo and Dara’a governorates participated in a “Health Awareness Raising and Psychological Support” Training that was organized by MECC aiming at raising health awareness to as many persons as possible.

The MECC Diakonia Department concluded workshops on social cohesion for 30 Lebanese and Syrian students, at a ceremony held in the MECC Center in Tripoli on Tuesday, September 17, 2019.

The MECC team organized two summer schools for 400 primary school students affected by the Syrian crisis in Daraa al-Balad and Khirbet Ghazaleh of Daraa governorate.

The MECC team distributed hygiene kits to 800 returning families to Kafr Nasej in the northern rural of Daraa, as part of its ongoing relief program.

The MECC team conducted vocational training courses on the mobile maintenance, women hairdressing and cooking principles and basics for 50 participants from both men and women, in Tartous governorate. The courses lasted for two months and a half, and were followed-up delicately and continuously evaluated by the MECC team.