her story
Vanessa Bwitonzi (26)
his story
Omar Itani (22)
her story
Rawan Al Zaidy (23)
his story
Amir Alkadri CEO, USTA OL (29)
her story
Claudine (30s)
his story
Mohammad Zakkour and Emrullah Gündüz (33)
her story
Muzhgan Mehr (34)
her story
Aisaha Salman (29)
his story
Mohamad (29)
his story
Salomon Ndizeye (29)
his story
Mustafa Swedan (28)
her story
Aya Baroud (21)
his story
Regis Umugiraneza (29)
Featured story
“Do not look for a job, look for a career.”
With an internship, youth in Burundi can have real added value in the job market and a chance to hone thier skills, whilst being paid. CREOP, SPARK's local partner, provided interns with general professional skills. Vanessa Bwitonzi, a 26-year-old nurse who interned at the maternity ward of the St-Joseph's Clinic and was subsequently offered a permanent position there, found these skills highly useful.
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Featured story
“We want an industry that is more fair, equitable and sustainable”
FabricAID is the largest second-hand clothing collector in the MENA region and recently received $1.6m investment. With the threads of society unravelling amid the economic crisis, this Lebanese social enterprise is proving that affordable, high-quality, sustainable fashion need not cost the Earth.
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Featured story
“We use Ai technology to the max”
Three young Iraqis founded the country's first agritech startup. The country's ailing date palm industry is being revitalised through the company's use of Ai technology to offer a variety of palm tree care services.
Read her full story
Featured story
“Entrepreneur in Exile: Amir Alkadri”
Entrepreneur in exile, a short documentary, depicts the story of Amir Alkadri, the founder of USTA OL, a startup delivering pre-packed meal boxes in Turkey. Each cook-at-home package contains the exact ingredients needed to make particular meals and comes with illustrated instructions. The documentary highlights the challenges entrepreneurs in exile face and the support they need.
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Featured story
“It is such a joy to see the products of our entrepreneurs”
SPARK’s partner in Burundi, CEMAC, is founded by Claudine and Boniface. They founded a company on the streets of Bujumbura with a mission to support their fellow entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. The pair tackled societal stigma and financial woes but now work with hundreds of businessmen and women throughout the country. “It is such a joy to see the products of our entrepreneurs on shelves in grocery stores or on display at a local fair, beautifully packaged,” says Claudine.
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Featured story
“Mohammad is like a brother from another mother.”
Meet the founders of İkiz Gen Mühendislik (Twin Gene Engineering), who are the embodiment of a successful business between host communities and refugees in Turkey. Zakkour and Gündüz established their engineering company in 2018 and benefited from SPARK’s programme to grow and expand.
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Featured story
“If the base is strong, the future is easier.”
Meet Muzhgan, the 34-year-old Afghan former employee of the Netherlands embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. With the Taliban takeover of the country last August, Muzhgan was evacuated to the Netherlands where she is now using her skills to start a new career.
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Featured story
“We learned from the Lego business module during the crisis”
Aisha Salman is the motivated and creative CEO and founder of Waragami World, a paper art company based in Amman, Jordan. She demonstrates the importance of helping micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to grow. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” says Aisha.
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Featured story
“My father is a Mechanical Engineer, my Grandfather too!”
Mohamad Youssef Kinat, a Syrian mechanical engineer moved from Syria to Gaziantep in Turkey in 2013. Although faced with challenges, Mohamad continued to pursue his studies intending to follow the footsteps of his father and grandfather in the field of mechanical engineering.
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Featured story
“This charcoal is made out of rubbish!”
Salomon creates charcoal blocks from waste products, which preserves the natural woodland and manages waste. SPARK coached Salomon and co-financed the construction of a processing unit to help him get his affordable product to market. Salomon has created 25 permanent jobs and 9 temporary jobs for young people in his community.
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Featured story
“The video game industry is serious in the MENA region”
In the fastest growing video games market in the Middle East, Jordan’s Chickmania - a leader in interactive mobile game development - has plans to expand globally. Customised coaching, mentoring and staff training has helped the company set a clear pathway for growth, and now their games have 50K active daily users.
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Featured story
“Whichever country I am in, I should be doing something significant”
Aya fled her home of Aleppo in 2015, leaving behind her dreams of studying Architecture. With a scholarship to learn in her native Arabic tongue at the University of Gaziantep, she is on track to completing her Bachelor's degree this year.
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Featured story
“Be patient, be persistent and make sure your business is valuable”
Regis Umugiraneza, a 29-year-old Agribusiness graduate, grew up surrounded by fields of sweet potato. He was four years old when the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi population claimed the lives of his father, sister and many other family members.
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