Report by: Jamal el sahili

Translated by: Lina Yehya Reidan

 

 

Al-Kwakh - plural for hut in English- is a calm village located in northern Békaa, at an altitude of 800m, overlooking the Eastern Lebanon Mountain Range, with captivating views. Al-Kwakh is about 170 Km away from the capital Beirut and 15 Km away from Hermel city.

 

 

 

 

 

Al-Kwakh houses are modest and preserve their traditional particularity with a vast green meadow stretching out in front of them.

 

Al-Kwakh inhabitants (about 1500 persons) depend mainly on agriculture, cattle raising and training local procedures as a source of living.

 

Al-Kwakh had its own municipality for the first time in 2004. The municipality council, which consists of 12 members, works on improving the village's infrastructure, to improve Al-Kwakh citizens' social situation.

 

 

 

 

 

The municipality accomplished a number of achievements regarding beautifying and lighting the village entrance, constructing sidewalks, supporting walls and play grounds. 

 

The village has an elementary school, a mosque, a number of organizations and agricultural cooperations.

 

 

 

 

 

Sindyan (oak) cooperative

 

Al-Kwakh has many societies and organizations which work on improving and developing the village's situation, on both agricultural and developmental levels.

 

A remarkable women activity took place represented in the founding of "Assindyan (oak) cooperative" which took upon its shoulder the responsibility of helping women, improving their situation and finding work opportunities for them. The cooperative also shoulders the responsibility of developing familial situations through enhancing local food industries which depend on organic agricultural produce.

 

 

 

 

 

The cooperative's role in this field manifested itself after the "Healthy Kitchen" activity which it organized in cooperation with the American University of Beirut "AUB".

 

Moreover, Al-Kwakh witnessed a variety of activities held in cooperation with a number of embassies under different titles of which the most important were "The Environmental Tourism" and transferring some traditional houses to guest houses that promise visitors a remarkable experience and an authentic stay.

 

 

 

 

 

Environmental Tourism Day

 

Al-Kwakh hosted an Environmental Tourism Day organized by the Arab center of tourism information (Media).

 

Tens of Lebanese and Arab Media people participated in that event, which was an opportunity to know Al-Kwakh village and environmental tourism places which Al-Kwakh inhabitants, its municipality and the local cooperatives and organizations succeeded in preserving and developing them.

 

 

 

 

 

It's worth mentioning that Al-Kwakh won "Nawara" rewards for the best woman economic initiative in the Lebanese rural area in environmental tourism field.