Damma
Al-Marj Main Street, Zaarour Bldg.
West Beqaa
Al-Marj Beqaa 1849
Lebanon
- Democracy and community development
- Gender
- Human rights
- Youth and education
Damma is an organization built by young and middle-aged Syrian women, who left Syria a important leaders and contributors in negotiating peace in their local city of Al-Zabadani. When the safety risks became too high, the women of the Damma group had to leave to Lebanon, where the group settled in the Valley of Beqaa. Damma core team, hence, is a group of Syrian female refugees themselves. Damma established an office in the heart of Beqaa, a community center and a educational center, providing basic services and support to the Syrian women and children finding themselves in difficult states of displacement. Many of Damma’s members and leaders have since been forced to leave Lebanon as well, due to risk of persecutions and lack of legal protections as for all Syrians and migrants generally in Lebanon. Nevertheless, today a strong team of Syrian women, men and youth are running Damma’s office and centers, and continue to be closely linked to the local communities with whom they work with. Our approaches are holistic, in the sense that we seek to provide both educational, protection and livelihood activities to the women, youth and children in Bekaa. Damma's physical presence in Bekaa, means that it remains able to perceive the needs of our communities; and better measure genuine impact.
Damma's management team is based in Bekaa, closed to its field teams working in the impoverished communities across West and Central Bekaa. The annual budget used to be above 400K USD per year, however today it doesn't exceed 200K USD. The sources of funding are received from different INGOS, such as Kinder not Hilfen, Heinrich Böll Stiftung and Kvinna till Kvinna (through Sub-grants).
Founded as a community-based feminist movement (2013) by a group of women from different ages and beliefs in Zabadani, Syria. Damma provided all possible relief for children, women and injured during the years of heavy conflict. Damma was hereafter displaced to Lebanon and registered as a Lebanese civil entity in 2017, seeking to support displaced Syrian women and children. We believe that women are vital mediators for social reintegration and coexistence; and vital bridge-builders between communities and accountability mechanisms. Damma is committed to impartiality; and enhancement of women's well-being disconnected from political agendas.
- Provisions of Knowledge, Education and Awareness to Syrian Women – through conduction of political empowerment programs and advocacy campaigns. This also entails vocational training and capacity building to strengthen women’s role in conflict resolution and decision-making.
- Contributing to knowledge production – through participating in development of research studies
- Protection Responses – enabling women and their children to become capable of becoming agents of their own lives and societal change
- Being the voice of Syrian women in displacement, disregarded donor agendas. And being the open ‘space’ available to support on legal issues through referral to capable legal support providers or other service providers.
- Damma supports women leaders to become engaged in supporting other women once they feel empowered themselves with the aim of fostering cohesion and dialogue between different Syrian actors
To build more nuanced narratives about Syrians in Lebanon, i.e., Damma can contribute to building a dialogue based on mutual respect and understanding between host and refugee communities across Lebanon. As part of dismantling the structural violence and discriminatory discourses against Syrians living (involuntarily) in Lebanon, and contribute to peaceful coexistence.
We believe that Damma has a lot to contribute with, representing some of the most marginalised communities in the region who are all eager to share their stories and learn about others'. Similarly, does Damma represent various female-leadership experiences, on both national regional and international level, which we believe are very inspirational, and should be shared with our peers across the region.
