Angela Saadé أنجيلا سعاده
Co-founder and Programme Manager
Angela Saade grew up in Lebanon, and studied in France and Spain, where she also worked for 10 years. She earned a Master of Engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble (INPG) and few years later a Master of Applied Anthropology from the Univeristy Lumière Lyon2. She worked for Hespul (Lyon, France) as photovoltaic (PV) project manager, as manager of the PV section, and as an expert in energy and urban planning. She designed, developed, and managed large scale PV plants, and European research-action collaborative projects. She also developed expertise in grid connection and was involved in national policy consultations with French administrations and the grid manager. For a period of four years, she worked in energy urban planning in collaboration with different European cities such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Hamburg. In parallel to her engineering work, Angela co-founded the French NGO Tabadol which aims to build a more equitable society reflecting its diversity and centering on social justice. She develops and conducts several projects for the NGO, including training for youth workers, teachers, and journalists on topics related to discrimination, stereotypes, power dynamics and migration. Angela moved back to Lebanon in 2016. She has been the technical advisor for the youth program of the Lebanese NGO Mouvement Social, mainly working with underpriviledged young people from different areas of Lebanon. In 2017, she co-founded the NGO Jibal working on environmental justice.
Ounsi El Daif أنسي الضعيف
Co-founder and Programme Manager
Ounsi is a physicist and a committed green and social entrepreneur. He earned his PhD in Switzerland, specializing in the interaction of light with matter at the EPFL-Lausanne. After his doctoral studies in fundamental science, he worked as a researcher in nanotechnology and solar photovoltaic cells for eight years, publishing 40 peer-reviewed research papers. He is the driving force behind Eedama Advisors, a social enterprise committed to training and raising awareness about sustainable development, social entrepreneurship, and nonprofit initiatives in the Middle East. Simultaneously, he co-founded and co-manages Jibal, a Lebanese NGO working on social and environmental justice.
Ounsi also co-founded two innovative initiatives within Lebanon: Whitelogs, specializing in mushroom compost production, and Alternative Beirut, known for its unique urban narratives and guided walks throughout the city. Beyond his entrepreneurial endeavors, Ounsi’s daily focus is on creating training materials and offering coaching sessions to individuals seeking to launch impactful ventures. Since 2017, he has successfully coached hundreds of small organizations.
Corinne Jabbour كورين جبور
Project Manager – Program Coordinator – Permaculture and Education Specialist
Corinne majored in Biology, her work experience was initially in the field of training and teaching, in Lebanon and Qatar. She started to focus on environmental sustainability after taking part in Ocean for Life 2013, an ocean science and cultural exchange program in the United States organized by NOAA of the US government. After earning her Permaculture Designer certification from Geoff Lawton on the Greening the Desert Project, she attended the Syntropic Agroforestry workshop with Ernst Gotch in Portugal and completed the Syntropy course online with Scott Hall.
Corinne joined Jibal at the beginning of 2019 and works as a program coordinator, project manager, researcher, trainer, and curricula developer. Beyond her role at jibal, she works as a permaculture design consultant and is part of the international permaculture design team “The Kaki Crew” a group of 13 permaculture designers and teachers from 11 countries. She collaborates regularly with Eedama on the design and implementation of permaculture projects as well as on conducting education and agroecology training sessions.
Zeina Fahed زينة فهد
Project Manager & HR
Yara Ward يارا ورد
Project Coordinator
Yara holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Management and Sociology, completed across London, Brisbane, and Beirut. Her journey led her to discover her curiosity for environmental justice through work at the Nature Conservation Center at the American University of Beirut. During the pandemic, Yara developed a strong passion for sustainable agriculture and began curating a permaculture garden in Kfardebian. She also co-initiated the ‘Da’ira’ collective, which focused on environmental knowledge exchange. In 2022, ‘Da’ira’ integrated a seed preservation network with Buzuruna Juzuruna to advance seed sovereignty in Lebanon. Yara then joined Jibal in February 2022, working on projects that promote agroecological practices, develop territorial food strategies, and research ways to upscale agroecology nationwide.
Jad Awada جاد عواضة
Access to Market Coordinator
Jad holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance and has gained valuable professional experience in diverse roles. He started his career as an external financial auditor at Deloitte & Touche, where he spent three years gaining exposure to various industries and work environments. In 2020, Jad embarked on a new journey driven by a desire for self-actualization and community involvement. He joined Blue Ocean Creations, a multi-disciplinary travel company with a team of tourism experts. Simultaneously, he became a part of Jibal as a financial and administrative coordinator. Furthermore, Jad has been collaborating with Eedama, a sister organization of Jibal, since 2022, where he actively supports impactful businesses through capacity-building initiatives.
With a newfound focus on sustainability and the circular economy, in 2023, Jad transitioned into the role of Access to Market Coordinator at Jibal. In this capacity, he dedicates his efforts to developing alternative sales channels for small-scale farmers while ensuring that consumers have improved accessibility to food.
Karim Malak كريم ملك
Project Coordinator – Permaculture Educator
Karim is a Permaculture Teacher with a master’s degree in environmental engineering from ECE Paris. He is passionate about co-creating inclusive, playful & collaborative learning spaces. Over the past four years, Karim has dedicated his time to supporting and developing educational community gardens in Lebanon, one of which was in collaboration with Jibal. This inspired him to complete his Permaculture Designer Certification in South Portugal in 2022, certified by Hugo Olivera and Lesley Martin.
More recently, Karim lived and collaborated in a permaculture community project in Southern Spain where he worked on water retention systems to restore the functionality of a desertifying ecosystem while using tools from social permaculture and sociocracy to facilitate participatory decision-making processes. He also completed his Permaculture teacher training at Applewood Permaculture Centre and is on a “Cultural Emergence” learning pathway under the mentorship of Looby Macnamara, a renowned permaculture teacher in the UK and author of several books on “Social Permaculture”. In 2023, he reconnected with Jibal actively contributing to spreading the Agroecology movement in Lebanon.
Nagham Khalil نغم خليل
Communications Coordinator
Nagham is the Communication Coordinator at Jibal. She grew up in a village in the Bekaa Valley, which shaped her interest in rural communities. She has a master’s degree in Rural Community Development and another one in Cultural and Development Projects Management. Nagham did an independent research with young Bedouin women in the Bekaa Valley using a participatory methodology called photovoice to understand how they perceive their cultural identity from their own lens. She now works with the Photovoice Worldwide team as a project coordinator. She combines her expertise in advocacy and community research to do participatory and inclusive work which led her naturally to join Jibal. She is also the coordinator of Alternative Beirut and Alternative Lebanon.
Mike Chatoyan مايك شاتويان
Financial and Administrative Coordinator
Mike is a seasoned professional with financial management and business development expertise. As Co-Founder and Financial Manager at ChatoJewels, he skillfully navigated the company through various stages, including Lebanon’s financial crisis, by implementing robust internal controls and standardized procedures. In his role at Euro Auto Center, Mike excelled as Regional Business Development Manager, significantly expanding the company’s presence in MENA. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies with a focus on Accounting, Banking, and Finance, he possesses a deep understanding of financial strategy, sales, and teamwork. He now brings his financial and administrative expertise to Jibal as the Finance and Administrative Coordinator, contributing to the organization’s mission.
Erica Accari اريكا عكاري
Access to Market Coordinator
Erica’s passion for regenerative agriculture began in 2016 after she stumbled upon the first organic garden in Lebanon. Driven by her deep passion for the environment and concern over the chemicals in the food we consume and in the soil that grows it, she made the life-changing decision to leave her mechanical aerospace engineering studies behind and pursue a more purposeful path. She went on to pursue a Sustainable Farming Certificate from Everdale Farm in Ontario, Canada, in 2017, and later immersed herself in hands-on farming for 4 years, eventually co-founding and managing Turba Farm, a regenerative organic farm in Bekaa, Lebanon, in 2021. Her dedication to preserving agricultural heritage led her to become part of “HOBOB” in 2022, a local peasant seed network, actively reproducing and saving heirloom seeds. In 2023, her entrepreneurial spirit led her to work with Buzuruna Juzuruna as their Sales Coordinator, where she expanded their sales of seeds and other products. Over the years, Erica has gained seasoned experience working on diverse environmental sustainability projects, spanning regenerative agriculture, waste management, and food sovereignty. And in 2024, it only felt natural to Erica to join Jibal to further expand her expertise, as well as her impact on the environment and on farmers. At Jibal, Erica is dedicated to improving fair access to markets for farmers, promoting sustainable consumption patterns, and managing a variety of tasks to further promote agroecology and food sovereignty. Her diverse experience makes her adept at contributing to different facets of the missions Jibal champions.
Georges Najem جورج نجم
Owner of The Green Van, and Jibal’s Agriculture expert. He is one of the best agroecology and modern agriculture techniques experts in Lebanon. Georges is a specialist in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, with extensive experience in designing, implementing, and training farmers to optimize agricultural operations. His focus is on increasing productivity while reducing operational costs, utilizing regenerative practices that enhance soil health, water management, and overall farm sustainability. He has worked with farmers and agricultural businesses across various regions, helping them transition to methods that are both environmentally and economically sustainable.