As the year draws to a close, we like to reflect on our progress and celebrate our wins, small and big, and 2022 is full of them! Following our 10-year anniversary in 2021, where we celebrated changing the lives of 10,000 Syrian children and youth, we aimed to set our goal for the next decade. 2022 marked the beginning of our next big bold goal, Changing the Lives of 1,000,000 Syrian Youth by 2031.On behalf of all the lives that have been changed together, we thank you for being part of Jusoor’s journey and invite you to take a tour with us through our achievements in 2022.
Our Spring started on a strong note with the launch of our High School Scholarship Program for students in Tuyoor Al Amal School in Tripoli, Lebanon, providing education for over 100 Syrian high school students, supporting them to complete their final school years, to be ready for their higher education. Thank you to everyone who attended our virtual fundraiser held in LA which fully funded the program! Learn more about the project's impact here.
We celebrated Ramadan with our “My Ramadan Wish” campaign, which raised over $100,000 to support the education of hundreds of displaced Syrian children in our Jurahiya center in Lebanon.
We concluded Spring by celebrating Jusoor’s Agriculture Accelerator Program, where 33 agriculture and agri-tech businesses from Jordan and Lebanon received three months of training, mentorship, and legal support. This exciting project culminated in a Demo Day pitching competition where six innovative businesses won a total of $20,000 in cash prizes and an additional 30 offers of further coaching, investment, and access to finance were made. The long-lasting and multiplying impact of this project will be seen for many years to come; after only six months, 93% of businesses maintained or increased their revenue and 59 additional jobs were created!Watch a brief of each winning business here.
In the Summer, we were proud to announce a new partnership announcement and opening of the Pine Community School (PCS) / The Ali Ghandour Schooling for Excellence and Diversity (AGSED), with the Ghandour family, marking it as our fifth center in Lebanon and reaching 110 additional Syrian and vulnerable Lebanese children. Relive the launch ceremony here.
We also celebrated the beginning of new journeys for 23 scholars, who are pursuing their International Baccalaureate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees in academic institutions across the world; including Jordan, Spain, Tanzania, India, Canada, US, UK, and more.
Additionally, we held our 2nd Scholarship Annual Meeting, where Jusoor board members, trustees, team, scholars, and alumni came together, to learn from each other, and initiate insightful discussions about the future of our alumni community.
This year, we were finally able to arrange meetings in person again, which help to enhance the sense of belonging to Jusoor and encourage giving back to the community. Thanks to all the scholars, alumni, and partners who attended our events in Waterloo Canada, and New York, USA.
This Autumn, we announced two additional partnerships with the Goodwill Education Center and Malaak Center in Lebanon. From the brink of closure, these schools are now preparing to expand and develop with teacher training and financial assistance from Jusoor which has secured the right to education for hundreds of Syrian children. In addition, at our existing education centers, we opened two additional Early Childhood Education classrooms, reaching 38 additional children at a vital time in their development. With the new partnerships and classrooms added this year, we have extended our reach to over 2,500 Syrian children studying in schools every year!
During this time, we also launched an exciting new pilot project for Syrians in Lebanon to work online, as part of the Career Development Program. This partnership is one of many to come, which aim to secure opportunities for Syrian youth, helping them build their professional careers.
This Winter began with the launch of Jusoor’s Startup Roadshow 4, providing entrepreneurship training to 159 startups. To kick things off, we held hackathon events in Jordan and Lebanon designed to bring ideas and innovators together to gain insight into entrepreneurship. After an exciting pitching event, the top teams are selected for the next stage - the Jusoor Incubator in which teams are coached by experts to become investment ready. Watch this space for more updates on the team’s progress and for details on our Demo Day, where investors select the best ideas to win cash prizes!
Additionally, we celebrated our Annual Bridges Award, awarded and given this year to Yannick Du Pont & SPARK for their outstanding leadership and partnership to enable education, entrepreneurship, and career opportunities for thousands of Syrian youth. Learn more about the award here.
And finally, we ended the year with two fundraising events in London and San Francisco - thank you to everyone who joined - it was our honor to spend the evening with you, sharing our vision for Jusoor in the years to come.
Thank you for your incredible support to Jusoor this year. Despite the ever-more challenging economic circumstances and competing global crises, Jusoor has continued to strengthen and grow, reaching more children and youth than ever before in 2022.
Wishing you joyful holidays, and a prosperous new year ahead!
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