Invest in women: Accelerate progress
Stichting SPARK
For over thirty years, SPARK has been supporting vulnerable youth in fragile places to rebuild and create jobs
As March began, Stichting SPARK embraced International Women’s Day under the theme: ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’. Since our inception thirty years ago, we've empowered over 40,000 women through education, internships, employment, and entrepreneurship.
It is not about breaking the ceiling , it is about changing the architecture.”
- Dr. Amal Abdullah Al-Qubaisi, UAE Director-General of the Emirates Center for a Balanced Life
Rwanda: Accelerate, Inspire, Include, and Empower women
The journey to women's empowerment cannot be achieved alone. It requires collaborative efforts. Through our partnerships, we have designed a loan guarantee fund to reduce obstacles that women face when obtaining loans.
- Igor Kana, SPARK’s Country Manager in Rwanda
SPARK and Equity Bank joined forces to commemorate International Women's Day with our event 'Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress', under the Gwiza project. Together, we aim to Accelerate, Inspire, Include, and Empower women, fostering Access to finance and recovery post-Covid.
Hear from our expert: Dina Almasaeid
On International Women’s Day this year, we stand in solidarity with Palestinian women and hope - very soon - to continue to bolster our support for women in rebuilding their lives and foster an inclusive recovery.
Watch this episode of AlMoolalah?podcast, where our own Dina Almasaeid , SPARK’s country manager at SPARK, highlights the intelligence, strength, and perseverance that Palestinian women embody. Watch the full episode here.
Brussels: Championing local partners at European Humanitarian Forum
Simon van Melick, SPARK’s CEO, joined global and local leaders at the European Humanitarian Forum in Brussels this month. Executive Director of Shaqodoon Organisation, SPARK's partner in Somalia/Somaliland, Mustafa Othman, shared insights into how Shaqodoon operates at the intersection of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding for the benefit of Somali youth.
More from our global programmes
Burundi: 400 youth in employability skills
SPARK and CREOP-Jeunes trained 400 youth in employability skills since 2021. 250 secured internships, 150 got permanent jobs. On March 21st, 2024, in Gitega, 81 interns were certified with local partners as the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken funded Akazi Keza programme nears its June 2024 closure.
Lebanon/Jordan: Supporting youth to have economic impact
Find out what SPARK achieved with the Skills Training Education Programme (STEP) in Jordan and Lebanon, supported by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Abdul Aziz al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund ( Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation ). Find out more...
Türkiye: Building resilience for earthquake-affected SMEs
Based in Gaziantep, Türkiye, Skytop Trading specialises in outdoor fabrics, led by visionary Abdullah Olabi. With a loan he received with the support of SPARK and funding from Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri Charity Society, he’s enhancing imports and eyeing expansion into construction. Find out more: SPARK’s Loan Guarantee Project in Türkiye
Entrepreneur of the Month: Meet Shaymaa Mansour
Governments, organisations, donors, and civil society bodies need to consider offering grants specifically tailored for women.
Shaymaa Mansour from Al-Karak in Jordan confronts the desert region’s water scarcity with her business, Healthy Farms, which uses hydroponic technology and employs women. Watch the full story
Palestine: Gaza Livelihood Workshop
SPARK Palestine held a workshop with our main partner to do a preliminary assessment & collectively identify a programmatic response to make a tangible difference in the livelihood of our local communities , once the situation has stabilised in Gaza.
Iraq: Capacity Building for Universities
Capacity building for university career development centres is vital for youth employment. In Baghdad, we organised a Training of Trainers to support 15 stakeholders from the Iraqi government and universities from KR-I and Federal Iraq, funded by the European Union.
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