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An ACS board member and former parent has been granted the “Women Who Make a Difference Award” by the International Women’s Forum, an organization comprised of more than 6,000 dynamic women leaders in 33 countries and 74 forums around the world, all of whom are committed to building better global leadership.

Melek El-Nimer, a board member since 2013, was granted the award earlier in November in recognition of her efforts to provide a university education to more than 500 underprivileged, yet capable, students through her NGO, ULYP (United Lebanon Youth Project), which she had founded in 2010.

ULYP’s mission is to provide access to education for marginalized women and children, in order to empower them to be active members of society. Annually, ULYP places over 3000 children, youth and women in educational programs, helping them fill any gaps in their learning process.

El-Nimer was among only 11 women from all over the globe who were chosen for this prestigious award.

“Our mission is to empower the marginalized children, youth and women of today with the skills and knowledge they need to become active agents of change for a better tomorrow, regardless of any discriminatory factor,” said El-Nimer. I am so grateful that we are succeeding in contributing to this goal.

A graduate of Bosphorus University in Istanbul in 1980 with an MS in accounting and finance, El-Nimer has been living in Beirut for the past 35 years, 25 of which she has dedicated to humanitarian projects. In addition to ULYP, she has also founded the Social Support Society and its active ageing homes for the elderly in the Palestinian camp of Burj el Barajneh in Beirut and Nahr el Bared. She sits on the boards of Injaz/Lebanon and presides on the board of the International Women’s Forum, Lebanon chapter.