Where we work

Burundi’s economy has been recovering slowly in the wake of the civil war, ethnic tensions and a dictatorship. The subsistence farming economy was greatly reduced after the war, which has led to millions of people being food-insecure and reliant on…

With around 1.4 million Syrian and 75,000 Iraqi refugees living in Jordan, unemployment rates in the country are high. Despite this, around 70% of the workforce is employed by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which means the potential for growth…

Kosovo represents a foundational chapter in SPARK’s history: it is one of the first locations, where business start-up centres have been established and vocational courses have been introduced. Currently facing a post-conflict transitional phase, Kosovo is home to multiple ethnic…

The semi-autonomous region in the north of Iraq has seen over 2.5 million Syrian and Kurdish people displaced within its borders as a result of recent wars. Young people are at risk of becoming radicalised due to the presence of…

Since the outbreak of war in neighbouring Syria, over 1.5 million Syrian people have sought shelter in Lebanon. The small country of 6 million residents also plays host to nearly 500,000 Palestinian refugees. SPARK supports the most vulnerable, marginalised youth…

After years of brutal civil war, Liberia was hit by the worst Ebola epidemic in history, which shut down the country and economy. However, five years on, young people are reclaiming their futures. With 60% of the country’s population under…

Since 2012, SPARK has been developing a culture of entrepreneurship in Libya because the economy is struggling to transition from an oil-revenue and public sector based economy, into one that encourages private sector growth. Today, Libya is ranked at the…

In the Palestinian Territories, over half of graduated young people are unemployed. Therefore, SPARK focuses on developing a vibrant private sector in the West Bank and Gaza. With support from local partner organisations, we empower startups and existing small and…

Twenty five years after the devastating genocide, Rwanda has made remarkable progress. However, around 68% of the population is employed in agriculture at a predominantly subsistence level. Rwanda’s 2020 vision aims to create 200,000 ‘off-farm’ jobs annually for (mostly) youth.…

After decades of civil war, violent extremism and recent widespread famine caused by droughts, Somalia’s youth face numerous hardships in accessing better opportunities. To improve access to jobs, SPARK has helped create a mandatory, national internship policy in Somaliland that…

Initial optimism surrounding the 2011 independence from Sudan was dashed when the youngest country in the world was plagued by more violence. With around 72% of the population under the age of 30, unemployment and food insecurity are SPARK’s main…

Tunisia’s economy has struggled to keep up with its increasing youth population. The National Institute of Statistics in 2017 found that the higher the level of education obtained by Tunisian youth, the less likely they were to be employed. With…

Turkey is home to the largest number of displaced Syrian refugees at approximately 3.7 million. Yet Turkey’s welcoming stance towards Syrians, means that sustainable employment or starting a business in the country is possible for many. We work with aspiring…

Refugees and migrants arriving in Europe face huge challenges in joining the workforce due to a lack of knowledge of local systems or laws, language barriers or cultural differences, among other things. Despite this, migrant populations are statistically more likely…