A Village Business Incubator was established in July 2005 in the coastal midlands of Syria to promote women’s active role in the labour market through the creation of micro and small businesses.

The project targets low-income women, aged between 20 and 50 years, and living in eight villages in the Lattakia Province. It benefits nearly 600 women directly (60% of the female population of the area) and the entire population of c.a. 3200 individuals indirectly. It aims to develop and strengthen institutional arrangements that would allow the women to create their micro and small businesses.

The VBI provides technical and financial assistance, counseling and training in various aspects of business creation and management, as well as continuing follow-up and support. Such incubation will subsequently enhance local capacities and improve social and economic conditions for the women and their families.

The VBI has now entered its fourth year and will continue to operate for three more years so as to ensure the sustainability of the incubator and transform it into a permanent social enterprise for local development.

For more information, please go to http://www.vbi-lattakia.org