About Tahaddi

Dr. Agnès Sanders and educator Catherine Mourtada first visited Hay El Gharbeh in southern Beirut and encountered the community and its health, educational and social needs.

Agnès and Catherine began visiting Hay El Gharbeh regularly, providing basic healthcare and non-formal educational services with volunteers. Relationships of trust gradually developed with families.

After more than a decade of community-based work, Tahaddi was officially registered as a Lebanese NGO.

2012–2013 · Preschool education begins

Tahaddi launched its preschool program with its first KG3 class, marking the beginning of what would eventually develop into a complete early-childhood pathway.

2014–2015 · Preschool expands

Tahaddi opened its first KG2 class, expanding the emerging early-childhood education program.

Tahaddi began a sewing training program for women from the community to develop practical skills and opportunities for economic independence.

2015–2016 · Special education develops

By 2015–2016, Tahaddi was already providing individualized special-education plans and services for children with developmental and learning needs. This work would become the Best Step stream.

By 2017 · Best Step

Best Step was operating as Tahaddi’s dedicated educational pathway for children with special needs and learning challenges, supported by individualized education plans and therapeutic services.

2017 · Sewing becomes a livelihood

The sewing initiative expanded into an income-generating Sewing Atelier, providing women with paid work and practical professional experience.

2017 · Well Child Program launches

The Tahaddi Health Center launched its Well Child Program, emphasizing early screening, child development, vaccinations, nutrition and preventive care.

Tahaddi launched its first holistic Early Childhood Development program and opened the dedicated Early Childhood Education Center. KG1 was added, completing the three-year KG1–KG3 preschool pathway.

2018 · Psychosocial support expands

Tahaddi established a dedicated Psychosocial Support Center, bringing together social workers, case managers and psychologists to support children and families facing abuse, neglect, displacement and other vulnerabilities.

2019 · PSS becomes a specialized department

In 2019, psychosocial support became a dedicated specialized department, building on the center opened in 2018.

2019 · I Learn @ Home launches

I Learn @ Home (IL@H) was launched to reach older children excluded from schooling. Mothers from Hay El Gharbeh were trained as tutors to teach basic Arabic, mathematics and literacy within the community.

2019 · Legal Aid initiative launches

Following community mapping that highlighted the impact of statelessness, Tahaddi launched a dedicated Legal Aid initiative under IRADE to help families obtain birth registrations, IDs and other civil documentation and prevent new cases of statelessness.

2019 · THC gains vaccination-center recognition

The Ministry of Public Health designated the Tahaddi Health Center as a fixed vaccination center, strengthening its integration with Lebanon’s public-health system.

2020 · Continuity through crisis

During COVID-19 and Lebanon’s economic crisis, Tahaddi transitioned education to remote and hybrid learning, supplied devices and internet assistance, expanded food and financial support, and maintained essential health and psychosocial services.

August 2020 · Responding after the Beirut explosion

After the Beirut Port explosion, Tahaddi participated in emergency relief and recovery. Youth helped with clean-up activities and even used carpentry skills to build cabinets and closets for damaged homes.

After consultations with young people, Tahaddi secured a two-floor building next to TEC as the Tahaddi Youth Center. Renovation allowed the Youth Transition Program to expand in a space designed specifically for adolescents.

2022 · Vocational expansion is designed

Tahaddi worked with vocational-training specialists and external consultants to plan dedicated sewing and carpentry training workshops, curricula, equipment and training pathways for youth.

2023 · Onsite carpentry and sewing training

Dedicated carpentry and youth sewing workshops were constructed and equipped. Renovations ran from March to May 2023, followed by structured in-house vocational training led by specialized instructors.

2023 · First YTP cohort graduates

Tahaddi celebrated the first cohort completing the two-year Youth Transition Program, marking the development of a clearer pathway from education toward vocational training and employment.

Best Step, ECE, IL@H, primary education and YTP continued alongside expanding computer, coding, technology and social-emotional learning opportunities.

2025–2026 · YTP+ expands vocational pathways

Youth Transition Program Plus (YTP+) provides more structured transition-to-work opportunities, including onsite training in sewing, woodworking/carpentry and plumbing, alongside technical and soft skills.

2025–2026 · Livelihood services evolve

Livelihood programming increasingly brings the Atelier and vocational development together, with structured training, work experience and pathways toward greater economic independence. Recent documents refer to the Tahaddi Livelihood Centre (TLC).

During the March–April 2026 security crisis, Tahaddi adapted programs rather than stopping them entirely. Education shifted between online and onsite formats, IL@H continued locally, Legal Aid remained available remotely, and Tahaddi contributed to emergency response efforts.