The French Embassy and the French Institute of Lebanon with makesense launched the Omdi أمضي program to support young citizen-based initiatives and startups that are solving a local challenge in Lebanon.

About the Omdi program

The Omdi program started in 2020 and was re-conducted in 2021 and 2022. Following the blooming of many youth-led impactful initiatives during the Thawra, this program has been developed to provide technical, financial and community support to the many initiatives that aim to build a more inclusive and sustainable society in Lebanon. Example of thematics: environment, gender equality, employability, arts and culture, food safety, etc.

Meet the Omdi projects

Plastc Lab is trying to make the economy more circular, by collecting plastic waste, sorting it, shredding it, and producing new items made from recycled plastic.

DIWAMA started with easy solutions for sorting waste at source by building collaborations between schools and municipalities. Beyond local actions, Diwama wants to reshape the waste management industry through digital transformation to ensure affordability and sustainability.

The mission of Green Track is to educate the Lebanese people about sorting at source by raising awareness, collecting and re-sorting of the waste, and selling the collected recyclables to industrial companies who use them as raw material for their operation.

Omdi is supporting Live Love Recycle in partnership with Green Track, Plastc Lab and Tripulley to offer a free recycling service to Tripoli inhabitants.

Buildits was created by two engineers who felt they never had a chance to put their learnings into practice when they were young. This educational STEM product encourage youth to learn by doing while developing their soft skills (problem-solving, team-building, planning, etc).

Tri-Pulley is an initiative that is trying to “pulley” vulnerable families in Tripoli and those affected by the Beirut explosion by matching unemployed skilled individuals to other vulnerable families

Dawrati is an initiative seeking to fight period poverty in Lebanon throughout monthly menstruation kits all while ending the stigma that surrounds period by conducting awareness sessions to girls who are about to have their period, and introducing sustainable solutions such as the menstrual cup.

Youth Against Corruption is a youth-led initiative contributing to control and prevent corruption in more innovative and efficient ways. Through social innovation and entrepreneurship, YAC wants to inform and inspire youth to have their own opinion, make informed socio-political choices, and move to action through sessions and workshops.

The Gold Clinic is a free-of-charge clinic targeting the underprivileged older adults in Lebanon. The clinic provides completely free of charge medical services including: primary care clinic visits, specilty referrals, medications, laboratory tests, imaging studies and psychological interventions.

Beekeepers are suffering from a shortage of wax and the increase of wax prices. This project at the agricultural village of Baalbak aims to recycle wax in order to fulfill beekeepers needs and support honey production in spite of the economic crisis

Sharing Municipalities provides a holistic approach to SWM based on circular economy principles to create a value chain for waste, thus turning it from a burden to resource.
It is a long-term customized design solution for municipalities/clusters of municipalities.

The project will provide permaculture trainings to youth of Hermel in the Esprits Libres school and, the Center of Sport & Culture, supporting them in bringing this solution to their families in order to improve food security.

A polyurethane filters doped with activated carbon based on banana stems to treating the water pollution and seawater desalination. A successful, patented, project that eliminates pollution and reduces waste of water resources.

They talk about us

Events

The SPRINT format is a short, collective and accessible coaching format, aimed at social entrepreneurs/project leaders who want to take action quickly on a specific theme of their project. During the first part of the program, a “common core” of 10 intensive sessions, delivered by experts, online, were realized. Following this, the second part of the program was composed of less collective training, and more personalized follow-up.

After a year of online activities, the Omdi projects expressed their desire to meet face to face. makesense, therefore, organized a team-building day to bring together the project leaders, in the gardens of the French Institute in Beirut, on June 4th. Mentors and the French Institute team were also invited.

At makesense, we are convinced that social entrepreneurs need the support of a community to grow. This is why we have created various event formats that use collective intelligence and volunteerism to connect youth and entrepreneurs. For the Omdi program’s project holders, we have created several naming Hold ups, during which, we invite participants to come up with suggestions for a project in search of a name.

Contact us

lebanon@makesense.org

The cooperation & cultural action department of the French Embassy and the French Institute of Lebanon drive various bilateral cooperation programs between France and Lebanon (education, research, culture, governance…). They endorse civil society initiatives thanks to various grants, programs, and experts. This two-year project falls within the framework of the Solidarity Fund for social innovations from the civil society and youth in Lebanon.

makesense designs impact programs and spark collaborations between engaged citizens, social entrepreneurs and forward-thinking organisations to collectively tackle the social and environmental issues of today.

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