Refugee Entrepreneurial Fund صندوق ريادة اللاجئين

Arabic Translation follows النص مُترجم بالعربية أيضاً

This project is supported through the University of St Andrews impact fund. It aims to support three start-up health-related projects of Syrian and/or Palestinian refugees in ‘the Middle East’ with finance and tailored mentorship to contribute to a more sustainable economy. To illustrate examples of health projects we could support, this page shares good practices in pictures.

Turning rooftop to gardens in Aida refugee camps in Palestine (to improve the mental health of farmers and refugee communities)

 

Mentorship Awards

The three winning projects will be provided with tailored mentorship [training included] for a full year, with a cost of £8,000 in total.

Financial Awards

At this stage, we are offering three awards with the possibility of having more in the coming years:

  • 1st award: £1,000
  • 2nd award: £500
  • 3rd award: £500

To remain inclusive and supportive, there are a few requirements that we ask applicants to keep in mind.

A mask-clad technician checks a locally-manufactured (and designed) smart sterilization device in the Gaza Strip (Mohammed Abed, AFP)

About the Winners

See full details of the winners and runners-up!

  • First Place and £3,660: Ms Shatha al-Azza and Mr Salah el-Sadi
  • Second Place and £2,000: Mr Hadi al-Thib
  • Third Place and £2,500: Tebfact
  • Runners-Up Projects: Our Hearts with You (OHWY) and MedX

 

Application Requirements

  1. A cover letter in which the following questions and points are tackled. You can include pictures, statements, and any other materials that you think will be helpful when assessing your work.
    1. Briefly describe your project, its impact, and its connections to the communities in which you work.
    2. How is your project beneficial or a good addition to the health of the refugee communities in the ‘Middle East’?
    3. What are your short-term plans and the more long-term plans?
    4. Is there any type of mentorship, training, and support that you need and we shall prioritise for your project?
    5. Is there a mentor(s) (from the ‘Middle East’ or beyond) that you prefer to have some support from? If there is no specific mentor with whom you would like to work, we will identify one in conversation with you.
  2. The applicant’s curriculum vitae.
  3. One professional reference and an indication of whether it is okay to contact them if you were to be selected for the interview.

We particularly encourage women, youth, and people of a low-income background to apply.

Please send the cover letter, CV and a reference to Dr Malaka Shwaikh at: [email protected] by 15 January 2021.

Heba al-Hindi (Palestinian entrepreneur and mathematician) invented a locally-designed and manufactured smart sterilisation device in the Gaza Strip (Mohammed Abed, AFP)

 

Project Characteristics

The entrepreneurial projects shall: 

  1. Make health improvements/interventions in the refugee communities in ‘the Middle East’;
  2. Have a starting date of no earlier than January 1, 2018;
  3. Not have received external funding before;
  4. Be a small project [including non-profits, organisations, individual-led start-ups] that has real potential to be beneficial to the community, and can prove to be sustainable in the long run;
  5. Have Palestinians and/or Syrians residing in the ‘Middle East’ as project leader(s).

There are no limitations on the type of the project as soon as they make health improvements/interventions in the refugee communities in the ‘Middle East’.

One product of a drawing session to support the mental health of child refugees

 

How to Apply

  • The application can be in Arabic or English.
  • Shortlisted applicants will be contacted to arrange online interviews.
  • Interviews may be conducted in Arabic or English, depending on the language that the applicant is most comfortable with. Please indicate your preference in the application.
  • The winners will be announced by January 30, 2021.
  • The interview panellists will be announced in due time.
  • The full application shall be submitted by January 15, 2021.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr Malaka Shwaikh at [email protected].

A screenshot of Dr Sila, an online start-up from within the Middle East

صندوق ريادة اللاجئين

يهدف هذا المشروع السنوي إلى دعم ثلاثة مشاريع صغيرة للاجئين السوريين والفلسطينيين بتمويل وإرشاد مخصص لخلق اقتصاد أكثر استدامة وأقل اعتمادًا على التمويل الخارجي

سيقدم المؤسسون المشاركون وغيرهم التوجيه والتدريب للفائزين لمدة عام كامل أيضاً بتكلفة 8000 جنيه استرليني للمشاريع كافة

في هذه المرحلة، نقدم ثلاث جوائز مع إمكانية الحصول على المزيد في السنوات القادمة

الجائزة الأولى: 1000 جنيه إسترليني –

الجائزة الثانية: 500 جنيه استرليني –

الجائزة الثالثة: 500 جنيه إسترليني –

ولكي نكون قادرين على الدعم بشكل شمولي وعادل، فإن المتطلبات التي نتبعها هي كما يلي

 

متطلبات التقديم للمشروع

خطاب تغطية يوضح ما يلي: (١)

تعريف موجز بمشروعك وتأثيره على المجتمعات التي تعمل فيها

كيف يمكن لمشروعك أن يكون مفيداً لمجتمعك

ما هي خططك (على المدى القصير والطويل)؟

هل هناك أي نوع من الإرشاد والتدريب والدعم الذي تحتاجه لمشروعك؟

  هل هناك موجه (موجهين) (من “الشرق الأوسط” أو ما وراءه) تفضل أن تحصل على بعض الدعم منه؟ إذا لم يكن هناك موجه محدد ترغب في العمل معه، فسُنحدد واحدًا في محادثة معك

في خطاب التغطية، يمكنك إرفاق الصور والبيانات وأي مواد أخرى تعتقد أنها ستكون مفيدة عند تقييم مشروعك

السيرة الذاتية (٢)

رسالة توصية (٣)

 

متطلبات المشروع نفسه

يجب أن يكون عُمر المشروع ثلاث سنوات على الأكثر (ألَّا يكون قد بدأ قبل الأول من يناير ٢٠١٨)

يجب أن يكون المشروع في المجال الصحي

يجب ألّا يكون المشروع قد استلم تمويل خارجي من قبل

يجب أن تكون إدارة المشروع من لاجئين فلسطينيين أو/و سوريين

 

كيف يمكنكم التقديم؟

يجب تقديم جميع خطابات التغطية بالعربية أو بالإنجليزية قبل نهاية يوم ١٥ يناير ٢٠٢١ 

سيتم الاتصال بجميع المتقدمين المختارين لترتيب مقابلات عبر الإنترنت

سيتم الإعلان عن الفائزين بحلول ٣٠ يناير٢٠٢٠

 

Advisory Board المجلس الاستشاري

Thanks to all advisors for their time and commitment. The advisors can serve as mentors too. If you would like to be part of this board, please email your CV to Dr Malaka Shwaikh at: [email protected].

Dr Weeam Hammoudeh

Dr Osaid Alser

Dr Abdulkarim Ekzayez

Ms Doaa AbdulHamid

Dr Nael Qtati

Ms Hana Saleh

Ms Noor Attar

Refugee Entrepreneurial Fund Coordinator

Dr Malaka Shwaikh

[email protected]

Refugee Entrepreneurial Fund Student Board

Find out more details of the Student Board.

Our Partners الشركاء

University of St Andrews - Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies

Image 1 of 3

https://cpcs.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/