Partnering with the Howard Karagheusian Commemorative Corporation (HKCC), JMP–L implemented a training program in business and computer skills from November 2008 until September 2009 in HKCC’s computer room.
This economic development project was called “ReachUp!” or “Income Generation Through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Development: Empowering Communities and Stimulating Economic Growth.” It was also held by 14 other Lebanese NGOs in various regions of the country, and was organized by the Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT), a Canadian-based international non-profit organization funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), in partnership with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Lebanon.
The objective of the training was to train local community members on the use of ICT to empower them to generate income, improve their living conditions, and create sustainable livelihoods.
The project targeted owners of small enterprises and/or businesses or those who wanted to start a small business. Participants were familiarized with the use of computers and acquired basic business and marketing skills.
HKCC was one of the four NGOs chosen to implement the project in Mount Lebanon. Upon HKCC’s request, JMP–L ran the training. JMP–L’s Community Development team leader Taline Ladoyan was the trainer.
The program had three cycles (each one lasting three months), giving the opportunity to a total of 36 men and women to participate:
- 1st cycle: January 8–March 12, 2009
- 2nd cycle: March 17–May 21, 2009
- 3rd cycle: July 7–September 17, 2009



Through this course, the participants identified their interests, defined their goals, acquired new skills, and enhanced their self-confidence and self-awareness.
The graduation ceremony of the DOT project for trainees from across Lebanon was held on June 18, 2009, at the UNESCO Palace. Eighteen of the 570 graduates were JMP–L trainees, who had completed the training and got certificates.

