Of course all new things are difficult. But then you get used to it. These machines are new for us: we were used to doing everything by hand. But it gives us energy and enthusiasm to work. We’re excited. It’s making things much less tiring for the women in this village. Before we would spend the whole day working by hand. The day would end and we still wouldn’t be done!
We didn’t work before because there wasn’t any work around here. But this work makes us stronger. When we work we’re happy and excited about the produce. Our money will go to the family and to the children. I want to work to get money to buy medicine for my son. It makes things easier to work and have your own money.

Salim has been working in olive cultivation for 65 years now. He has 7 children who are all married. One of them lives in Lille in France and the rest are in Lebanon.
Salim usually reinvests the money he makes from his business back into the land. Since SEAL’s grant to Zaarouriye cooperative, Salim has been able to sell his olive oil to them at a better price.
He is grateful to be able to sell his oil but even more grateful to be able to benefit from this project in other ways. He received training on how to improve the quality of his oil. He learned early harvesting techniques to ensure the olive seeds are of a higher quality, and tips on collecting and pressing the oil.

SEAL has returned the spirit of the village completely. There were 10 or 15 years when all the young people left. Now on weekends, all the young people come back, they drink and come together. We didn’t used to see them, we lost them for 15 years! 

People used to be scared of the orange blossom season – it was like a black flower; when there was a bumper season they’d feel bad as they wouldn’t know what to do with it. This project is now the life of Maghdouche: people have started opening restaurants and all kinds of other initiatives because there’s now hope. 

This is an opportunity for women to work in the village – if it wasn’t for this they wouldn’t work at all. 

There was hardly any agriculture here before our SEAL grant; now 2000 people are being helped. We talk together to decide who will take turns benefitting from the irrigation.