About 65 villagers, Saida, and Magpie in South Lebanon participated in the Cash for Work initiative run by the Sustainable Livelihood Promotion (PSL) project carried out by Rene Moawad Foundation - LB with support from the USAID - US Agency for International Development to provide harvest services to 35 olive orchards in the region. Olives are the main crop produced in the South, harvesting accounts for 40% of the total cost of olive production. This initiative is coupled with the provision of mechanical harvesters, which will be maintained in the Union of Municipalities and will be available to all olive farmers at a nominal cost to ensure sustainability.
Prior to starting the field work, the cash for workers participated in training sessions conducted by the Rene Moawad Foundation and the Rural Delights regarding harvesting methods and post harvesting strategies in the premises of the Union of Municipalities of Saida-Zahrani.
On the other hand, olive farmers are directly benefiting from USAID intervention, which is providing a specialized labor force, helping in decreasing the harvesting costs, enhancing the efficiency and uplifting the quality of the products.
