Thursday, April 12, 2012. LDU, in collaboration with YCC – Zouk Mikael and Microsoft graduated a third class of students through the program “Women and Technology”. The intensive training course on Microsoft Office basic programs lasted 12 weeks and aims to help these women to develop their skills to use information technology both at work and in their daily lives.
During the ceremony held at the Youth and Culture Center of the Municipality of Zouk Mikael, the secretary general of LDU, Ms. Crystel el Chayeb affirmed the importance of “the role of civil society which is perhaps the only initiator investing a part of its potential in Kesserwan”, noting the “role of promoter of the local community and municipalities, including that of Zouk Mikael, a pioneer in this field in its quest to ensure the well-being of its inhabitants”. Ms. Chayeb stressed that LDU launched the first training session of this program in 2010 in view of promoting sustainable development which, contrary to what is circulating among donor and development agencies in Lebanon, does not touch the region of Kesserwan, which still suffers from deprivation at many levels.
Ms. Chayeb explained that “the main objective of these sessions is to create job opportunities and empower women in the companies where they work, and this, because we believe in the importance of individual initiative in the absence of the role of the state “. She stressed also on the value of the program that has “benefited over 2000 women in the Arab world”. Ms. Chayeb also thanked Microsoft for its “moral and material support that enabled the establishment of these learning sessions and allowed new opportunities for adopters of new technologies which facilitate the work of the individual both professionally and personally”. The certificates were then distributed to the women who participated in the sessions.
The participants presented their testimonies and highlighted the changes this program has brought into their professional life. French language teacher, Claire Maatouk, noted that she has benefited from the use of computers which facilitated her communication with the school administration and her students; “now I spend less time in researching for new materials on the Internet and preparing for lessons and exams”. Rita Ofeich also thanked LDU and Microsoft for helping her to restore her self-confidence by obtaining her first degree: “I feel I can continue my studies and the program “Women in Technology” has helped me to receive a promotion at work”.
Lebanon Development Union 