It was in Beirut that the WIP – WORK IN PROGRESS project was born: Pro Terra Sancta turned to the young people who want to build a future in Lebanon, the country where they were born and whom they would like to help get back on their feet.
Lebanon is a country devastated by an unprecedented economic, political and social crisis; since 2019 it has been default, citizens no longer have the opportunity to freely dispose of their money and soaring inflation has contributed to the collapse of the Lebanese economy. It is a country withoutgovernment, without funds to take care of the health and education of its citizens, where half of the population is not vaccinated. The population lives in absolute poverty.
The aim of the project is to support the development of new startups in Lebanon: we have created a competition for young people between the ages of twenty and thirty who have an innovative business idea, and the thirty selected aspiring entrepreneurs are offered training Courses with specialized coaches, as well as personal tutors who support them throughout the construction and management of their projects.
The aim of the three-month training courses is to draw up a business plan to be presented to a commission – the WIP Advisory Board – which will evaluate the proposals submitted and choose the most valid ones that will then be effectively funded. Applicants and their business plans are divided into two categories based on the impact the projects are likely to have:
The Social impact category brings together those activities that show good economic sustainabilityand a growth potential that allows the supply of a number of jobs, i.e.businesses that would contribute to the livelihood of their creator, his family and otherlocals;
The Business impact category , on the other hand, is made up of startups that promise a strong impactwhich have all the credentials to expand and become a real support not only for thepersonal, but also community, for example by involving staff with special needs(offering care to the elderly, or involving people with disabilities).
The two days dedicated to the presentation of business plans are known as Pitching Day: the Advisory Board meets and selects the beneficiaries who will obtain funding. Those who are taking the first steps in the construction of their business receive funding proportionate to the initiative, while those who already have a more structured project in place can receive a loan or a loan, which they can repay when their business allows them to do so and which will thus finance new future WIP candidates.
In addition to financial support, the winners are offered a two-week life skills course and a ten-week corporate business course , the latter differentiated on the basis of the needs and specificities of the various companies. At the end of this new training, young entrepreneurs can start their project and put into practice what they have learned, always with the support of coaches and tutors. WIP's strength is in fact precisely this double mentorship that creates a safety and support network around young people that is essential for finding the courage to invest in a country that offers very few prospects.
WIP has been active since 2022, and to date has already helped dozens of young people:- In Beirut, the 2023 edition allowed the launch of 9 new businesses, as well as the professional training of 28 young aspiring entrepreneurs;- A Job Help Desk has been set up in Damascus – offering training courses for young caregivers with subsequent job placement, which benefited 17 young people – and a business-focused training course with the possibility of funding the most offered to 30 people out of 1590 who applied.
With the WIP project, we claim and show how right it is to invest in young people and their ideas even when they come from desperate situations: they are the first to believe in themselves and their possibilities, and they deserve to be given the right opportunities to be able to put them to the test.
