At Ashoka, We Don’t Fund Projects, We change Sectors.

Ashoka seeks out those individuals that have transformative solutions to the world’s most urgent social problems; people that are true Changemakers. While other funding organizations and donors choose to invest in traditional models, Ashoka only invests in system changing ideas. We enable entrepreneurs and risk takers and their ideas to flourish in a fostering environment.

“ As we wire Fellows together, ideas flow across the world. This becomes

multiplicative. The network becomes a distribution channel [for change]”

Bill Drayton, CEO and Founder Ashoka

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Civic Engagement & Citizenship Rights

Environment &

Sustainability

HealthDisability

Rights

Income Generation & Employment

Education

Gender

Parity

Children and YouthToday, 60 % of the Arab world’s population is under 30 years old. There are many challenges to the right to childhood in the Arab world. In rural areas, school enrollment rates are generally low, as kids are often forced to help out in the household. Even when kids do go to school, for the majority of children in the Arab world, the education they receive is minimal and youth tend to drop out to take on low-paid jobs. Due to these circumstances, young people grow up feeling frustrated and cynical. (Arab Human Development Report, 2009)

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Abdelfattah Abusrour (Palestine) is empowering Palestinian children with non-violent resistance by providing alternative activities for creative expression and positive change.

Fairouz Omar (Egypt) is securing the emotional health of Egyptian youth by introducing a professional psychological counseling system in public schools.

Azza Kamel (Egypt) uses experiential learning and non-formal education to overcome the exclusion, that keep children from marginalized areas excluded from society and the labor market.

Seham Ibrahim (Egypt) is changing societal perspectives of street children towards a sense of communal responsibility for their well-being.

Ashoka’s Youth Venture Initiative

Youth Venture (YV) is a collaborative program designed to inspire youth to become actors of change in their own communities. Ashoka will invest in youth teams to launch their own social ventures, providing them with the proper incentives and opportunities (mentorship, seed-funding, capacity-building), thereby fostering a generation of young social entrepreneurs.

Samar Dudin (Jordan) is nurturing leadership amongst youth from different backgrounds, giving them a framework for action.

Ehaab Abdou (Egypt) is helping youth in Egypt overcome feelings of cynicism and despair by empowering them to create their own social ventures.

Wael Hmaidan (Lebanon) is establishing an ethic of social engagement by identifying ‘local heroes’ to serve as role models for young people.

Selim Mawad (Lebanon) is educating Lebanese youth about transparency and democracy in government.

Civic Engagement & Citizenship RightsNational identity in the Arab world is weaker than in other regions of the world. Personal loyalties are more likely to be tribe, sect or community-based. This is because most governments have failed to create an equal citizenry. Dissatisfaction with the state and socio-economic inequality creates apathy towards civic participation. Although the civil sector has experienced expansion in recent years, rates of participation lag behind other regions. )Arab Human Development Report, 2009(

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Emad Mubarak (Egypt) is working to ensure academic freedom in Egyptian universities, providing legal support and raising awareness amongst students and university staff.

Marwa El Daly (Egypt) is reviving traditional forms of giving to achieve a sustainable source of donations for civil sector organizations.

Salah Arafa (Egypt) is promoting a participatory model of community development in rural communities.

Raghda Boutros (Jordan) is encouraging community development by promoting interaction between the private sector and poor communities.

Hisham el Rouby (Egypt) is encouraging volunteerism in the Arab region.

What is even better than the mind of one Social Entrepreneur, are the ingenious solutions that two Social Entrepreneurs can come up with.

Ashoka facilitates collaborations of Fellows so they can share valuable knowledge and insights, combine their talents for greater leverage, and leave better equipped to advance their work.

Fellow Collaborations

Tarek Ramadan (Egypt) is creating an alternative, community-based system of arbitration by identifying community leaders to serve as arbitrators.

Mohamed El Sawy (Egypt) is promoting social consciousness by offering a cultural hub for citizens of different backgrounds to come together.

Joanne Bajjaly (Lebanon) is using history and heritage to build solidarity, helping children in Lebanon rise above religious divides in a ‘fun’ and interactive way.

Disability RightsThe mentally and physically disabled are often socially excluded and hidden from view. Supportive programs that exist in the Arab region usually only function to increase dependency, rather than empower individuals. Those with disease are stigmatized and discouraged from trying to be productive members of society. Poverty and disability are intrinsically linked and form a vicious cycle - poverty can lead to greater vulnerability to disabilities at birth, while disabilities limit one’s ability to work. )Arab Human Development Report, 2009(

Promoting sustainable social change

Dina Abd El Wahab (Egypt) is pioneering school-based integration of special-needs and normal children - a first important step towards society-wide integration.

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What is even better than the mind of one Social Entrepreneur, are the ingenious solutions that two Social Entrepreneurs can come up with.

Samy Gameel and Maha Helali are collaborating to develop and produce a Makaton language )very simple gestures used to communicate( dictionary that can be used by people with a variety of disabilities.

Maha Helali (Egypt) is providing specialized care to children and youth with Autism through her Learning Resource Center.

Magda Sami (Egypt) is advocating for disability rights and training therapists and health care professionals.

Hanaa Helmy (Egypt) is improving basic motor skills of children with cerebral palsy and investing in locally manufactured disability-assistance products to reduce costs. Tamer Bahaa (Egypt) is improving the lives of

deaf people through literacy programs and other educational initiatives. Ola Abu Ghaib (Palestine) is providing direct

services and training to disabled women through her organization, the first in the Arab world solely geared towards women with disabilities.

Samy Gameel (Egypt) is economically empowering deaf people by training them in IT services.

Fellow Collaborations

Education

The public education system in the Arab world is generally under-funded, mismanaged and resistant to reform. While official attendance reports are high, the reality is that many ‘enrolled’ students rarely attend, frequently under pressure to contribute to their family’s income. The vast majority of schools employ the rote method of teaching, in which teachers lecture for the duration of the class, without making an effort to encourage student participation. In rural areas, girls are still largely excluded from education. )Arab Human Development Report, 2009(

Promoting sustainable social change

Lynn Freiji (Egypt) is improving the way science is taught by introducing an effective outdoor educational platform )the Environmental Center( where children can experiment with the concepts they learn about in their classrooms and science labs.

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Ashoka’s Youth Venture Initiative

Youth Venture )YV( is a collaborative program designed to inspire youth to become actors of change in their own communities. Ashoka will invest in youth teams to launch their own social ventures, providing them with the proper incentives and opportunities )mentorship, seed-funding, capacity-building(, thereby fostering a generation of young social entrepreneurs.

Magdy Aziz (Egypt) is promoting gender equality in Egyptian society by teaching children about their rights and empowering them to exercise them. Working through the existing educational system, he is helping boys and girls to develop the skills and confidence to participate equally in school, and eventually community life.

Jacqueline Sfeir (Palestine) is developing a Holistic Integrated Conceptual Framework to encourage the evolution of educational methods towards a more interactive, participatory style of teaching and learning.

M’hammed Andaloussi (Morocco) is modernizing the educational system and linking students and graduates to the market in Morocco. By involving the business sector, he improves the management and education cycle of schools, ensuring higher quality market-relevant education.

Environment & SustainabilityThe effects of global warming will be extreme in Arab countries, even though the region produces the second smallest percentage of greenhouse gases, after sub-Saharan Africa. Desertification of arable land and water shortages are already leading to decreased agricultural production, putting even more pressure on food security for a region suffering explosive population growth. )Arab Human Development Report, 2009(

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Hany el Miniawy (Egypt) is introducing low-cost housing to squatter communities by producing appropriate local building materials, adopting a participatory approach for transfer of know-how, and using simple and fast building techniques.

Sherif el Ghamrawy (Egypt) is developing a new approach to waste management in the Sinai peninsula through the collection and resale of recyclable materials, creating jobs along the way.

Sameh Seif Ghaly (Egypt) is introducing a new system of community participation in the design of low-cost, community-appropriate sewage systems in Egypt’s villages to improve public health, quality of life and the environment.

Nabil el Mogi (Egypt) is transforming the desert into a greater agricultural resource by investing in a new industrial crop ‘Jojoba’, which yields high returns in desert land and increases employment opportunities.Mohamed Nagi (Egypt) is mobilizing the public to

claim their right to a safe and healthy environment.

اادوٌارAshoka’s Housing

For All (HFA) Initiative

HFA is a revolutionary market-based model for affordable housing that combines the expertise of the private sector, low-income communities, micro-finance institutions and Ashoka Fellows.

HFA will leverage the purchasing power of those at the bottom of the economic pyramid, involving all relevant parties to create a sustainable, scalable and profitable win-win partnership.

Gender ParityTraditional gender roles and family values play a dominant role in Arab countries. Although female students are graduating with higher scores than their male colleagues, women face discrimination in the labour market and are likely to receive unequal pay. In rural areas, female circumcision remains a prevalent practice. Domestic violence against women is a widespread occurence, but rarely addressed in public fora. Girls have few role-models to look up to. )Arab Human Development Report, 2009(

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Ashoka’s Women’s Initiative for Social Entrepreneurship is an innovative program that will comprehensively address challenges impeding women from becoming leading social changemakers in their communities.

WISE targets girls, aspiring social entrepreneurs, and established female social entrepreneurs, employing a holistic model to empower them and facilitate their active participation in, and contribution to, society.

Magdy Aziz (Egypt) is promoting gender equality in Egyptian society by teaching children about their rights and empowering them to exercise them. Working through the existing educational system, he is helping boys and girls to develop the skills and confidence to participate equally in school, and eventually community life.

Zeinab Al Momani (Jordan) founded the first agricultural union for and by women in the Arab world. By liberating rural women, Zeinab believes it will affect children, men, and other women to create a more just and successful region.

Ola Abu Ghaib (Palestine) founded the first organization in the Arab world catering solely towards women with disabilities and provides direct services and training to disabled women.

Ashoka’s WISE: Women’s Initiative for Social Entrepreneurship

Balsam and Lulwa Al Ayoub (Kuwait) are changing social attitudes towards female participation in sports. They serve as role models for young girls, aspiring them to follow their dreams.

Saady El Wafi (Saudi Arabia) has developed a comprehensive and sustainable model for poverty alleviation in Saudi Arabia, which empowers the poor and has a special focus on women.

HealthThroughout much of the Arab World, public health care infrastructure is unable to provide quality care to those in need. Disease prevention efforts are negligible compared to other parts of the world. Those that do fall victim to disease are isolated from society and stigmatized, particularly with respect to carriers of HIV/AIDS. Breast cancer is a leading cause of death among women globally, and survival rates among Arab women are extremely low. )Arab Human Development Report, 2009(

Promoting sustainable social change

Ali Hussein (Egypt) is ensuring adequate blood supply to save lives. Hospitals across Egypt face an enormous challenge in delivering blood to patients in need of transfusions. Ali is advocating for changes in attitude and government policy.

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Fellow Collaborations

What is even better than the mind of one Social Entrepreneur, are the ingenious solutions that two Social Entrepreneurs can come up with.

Ashoka facilitates collaborations of Fellows so they can share valuable knowledge and insights, combine their talents for greater leverage, and leave better equipped to advance their work.

Sarah Trad (Lebanon) is confronting Lebanon’s growing drug addiction problem by implementing treatment and prevention strategies, and changing cultural perceptions of ex-users as criminals.

Essam Ghoneim (Egypt) is improving children’s health and school performance by implementing a comprehensive model of nutrition education and guidance in nurseries and primary schools.

Mohamed Shaalan (Egypt) is spreading information and awareness about breast-cancer, improving early detection and other services, and helping women to confront the illness from an informed position.Sani Kozman (Egypt) is mobilizing Egypt’s

growing population of PLHIV )People Living with HIV/Aids( behind a movement to increase dialogue around HIV/AIDS, and to advocate for better care.

Income Generation & EmploymentEconomic growth of many Arab countries is hostage to the price of oil. Both oil-rich countries and those without suffer from high levels of corruption. Unemployment levels in the Arab World are high (averaging 14.4%), particularly among youth. Public programs to train or retrain the unemployed for specific jobs are near absent. Vocational schools are rare and higher-education places prestige on fields where little work is available. (Arab Human Development Report, 2009)

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Magda Iskander (Egypt) is creating the profession of home healthcare in Egypt and training a cadre of providers to offer high-quality, affordable services to the elderly and others who are homebound.

Maged Hosny (Egypt) is providing career counselling to high school and college students to better prepare them for the realities of the labour market.

Rabee Zureikat (Jordan) is fostering inter-communal exchange through his urban/rural exchange tourism model - providing villages with a new source of income.

Ahmed Dakrouri (Egypt) is reforming agricultural practices in rural Egypt to increase farmers’ income.

Maher Bushra (Egypt) is improving the lives, working conditions and income levels of employees in Egypt’s informal sector, particularly quarry workers and fishermen.

Tandiar Samir (Egypt) is professionalizing nursing and, in doing so, improving healthcare and creating jobs.

What is even better than the mind of one Social Entrepreneur, are the ingenious solutions that two Social Entrepreneurs can come up with.

Ashoka facilitates collaborations of Fellows so they can share valuable knowledge and insights, combine their talents for greater leverage, and leave better equipped to advance their work.

Fellow Collaborations