Souk Al-Hima is a new program established by SPNL in 2014 aiming to conserve cultural and traditional skills at local communities and to upgrade the livelihood of rural communities within IBBAs/Himas in Lebanon interlinked with natural resources. Through kind contributions from UN Women Fund for Gender equality, OTI USAID fund, and the European Union, SPNL has revived several cultural skills and trained (women &men) to produce local artisanal products linked to their Hima sites habitats, raw material, and globally threatened species. Examples are Armenian needle work and handicrafts from Hima Aanjar, bird houses from West Bekaa, accessories from recycled material (upcycling) from Hima Qoleileh/Mansouri, pins for threatened birds and wildlife, handmade car and different conservation and informative guides.
Main Goal: Promote poverty alleviation in Hima rural communities in parallel to conservation.
Souk Al Hima Outlets:
SPNL has already started with the marketing initiative, whereby several fixed outlets have been established and used to market Souk Al Hima products:
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SPNL office in Hamra, Beirut
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Bioland Shop in Achrafieh, Beirut
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An outlet in Kayfoun, Mount Lebanon
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A women workshop in Hima Anjar
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A kiosk in Hima Anjar next to the ancient ruins
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An outlet/workshop in Hima Qoleileh next to the municipality used as a display for the products and training center
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An outlet/workshop in Hima El-Fekha for display of products
