With assistance from a MEPI Leaders Grant, Nora Chaynane, a 2019 alumna of the MEPI Student Leaders Program (SLP), successfully trained 50 participants from 10 different regions of Morocco to leverage technology and innovation in rapidly changing environments. Through her Shine Space Smart Sustainable Solutions (S.5 Project) initiative, Nora received a small grant from the …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 16 June, 2022 | Topics: Alumni, Business, Culture, Economic Affairs, Education, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, Scholarships and Exchanges, Study in the U.S., Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: advocacy, alumni, assistance, Business, economic growth, Entrepreneurship, Morocco, Success Stories, Youth
Dakhla offers many advantages and opportunities for businesses, including a transport hub with links to Europe and Africa, excellent infrastructure, quality human resources, and exceptional nature and weather conditions. However, business opportunities in Dakhla are little known, and local businesses are not well connected. MEPI’s “Promoting Economic Opportunity in Dakhla and Laayoune” project has helped …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 1 July, 2021 | Topics: Business, Economic Affairs, Economic Issues, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa | Tags: Business, economic growth, Entrepreneurship, MENA, Middle East, Morocco
The Al-Rawabet project promotes the growth of high-potential companies and invests in the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Safi-Marrakech region, with funding from the United States Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). A new public private partnership (PPP) in Safi, Morocco started through Al-Rawabet is providing opportunities for young entrepreneurs to …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 29 December, 2020 | Topics: Agriculture, Business, Culture, Doing Business in the U.S., Economic Affairs, Economic Issues, Events, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Science & Tech, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: alumni, assistance, Business, Commerce, economic growth, Employment, Entrepreneurship, MENA, MEPI, Middle East, Morocco, Near East Foundation, news, Success Stories
In the Marrakech-Safi region of Morocco, many resources are available to entrepreneurs, but they weren’t working together or coordinating to influence policy. The Al-Rawabet project, funded by the United States Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), takes an entirely new approach to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region. Through Al-Rawabet, …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 29 December, 2020 | Topics: Agriculture, Alumni, Business, Culture, Economic Affairs, Economic Issues, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, Science & Tech, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Business, Commerce, economic growth, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Environment, MENA, MEPI, Morocco, Near East Foundation, Start-up, Sustainability
In the Marrakech-Safi region of Morocco, many resources are available to entrepreneurs, but businesses weren’t working together or coordinating to influence policy. The Al-Rawabet project, funded by the United States Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), takes an entirely new approach to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region. Through Al-Rawabet, …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 8 December, 2020 | Topics: Agriculture, Alumni, Business, Culture, Economic Affairs, Economic Issues, Education, Events, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories | Tags: Business, civil society, Commerce, economic growth, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Funding Opportunity, Job Growth, MENA, MEPI, Middle East, Morocco, North Africa, Success Stories, technology
Nasser al-Tooblani graduated from MEPI’s Tomorrow’s Leaders program at LAU in the spring of 2020 with a BA in Psychology and received High Distinction. Suffering from diabetes since he was two years old, Nasser has consistently struggled with diabetes self-management throughout his life. In his capstone project « Bloom », Nasser came up with the …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 21 September, 2020 | Topics: Alumni, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Scholarships and Exchanges, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: alumni, Arab media, Bahrain, Entrepreneurship, Health, Leaders, MENA, Mental Health, MEPI, Middle East, Success Stories, Tomorrow's Leaders
MEPI Local grantee Lebanese Center for Active Citizenship (LCAC) successfully empowered and trained 100 refugee and Lebanese women to produce and sell high quality fishing nets. The program also trained the women on how to market their product and cut out middle men, further empowering these women economically in their communities. The women have been able to …
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By lachinml | 24 February, 2020 | Topics: Business, Economic Issues, Gender Issues, Job Opportunities, News, Success Stories, Trade, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Business, Commerce, economic growth, Entrepreneurship, Grants, Lebanon, MENA, MEPI, news, Success Stories, trade, Training, women
MEPI’s support of Civil Society boosts the integration of Israel’s minorities in the Hi-Tech sector and helps increase Israel’s overall GDP MEPI’s support to civil society organizations, especially within the Arab community in Israel, has successfully helped to integrate marginalized communities in Israeli society by providing them access to economic opportunities. MEPI, through the Embassy, …
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By lachinml | 20 February, 2020 | Topics: Business, Commercial Opportunities, Economic Issues, Embassy, Job Opportunities, News, Science & Tech, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Arabs of Israel, assistance, Business, Civic Engagement, economic growth, Employment, Israel, MEPI, Minorities, news, Success Stories, technology, Training, US Embassy
Cenacle de La Lumière (CDLL) completed their two-year MEPI funded project “Back into Community (BiC)” focusing on improving the lives and economic prospects of 125 women and youth in Lebanon, specifically in Keserwan, Jbeil and Metn. Working with local companies, CDLL succeeded in empowering and strengthening 125 vulnerable women and youth through extensive trainings and …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 15 May, 2019 | Topics: Events, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Lebanon, MENA, MEPI
Lebanese Youth SEEK (Strengthening Employability and Enhancing Knowledge) Jobs is a unique project in which the private sector played a strong role in the development of employment programs and trainings that allowed 125 vulnerable youth from the North of Lebanon to gain valuable life and employment skills and subsequently find employment. In the first phase …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 17 April, 2019 | Topics: Job Opportunities, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI
On July 9th, Ambassador David Freidman hosted the closing ceremony for the “Diversity Works” project – a joint initiative led by the itworks nonprofit organization and supported by the U.S. Embassy’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). Diversity Works contributed to a dramatic 150% increase in employment diversity in the 47 participating companies by integrating various …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 11 July, 2018 | Topics: Featured Event, Job Opportunities, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Israel, MENA, MEPI, Success Stories
Youth unemployment is a perennial challenge across North Africa, including in Algeria, where rates typically approach 30%. Since its launch in September 2015, the MEPI-funded Youth Employment Project has established nine career centers across Algeria, helping young job-seekers to gain new skills tailored to local market demand. From Algeria’s largest ports to smaller trading hubs …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 15 June, 2018 | Topics: Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Algeria, alumni, Employment, Success Stories, World Learning
Good morning everyone, I am delighted to be here to participate in this very special occasion. I want to take a moment to thank Minister Ben Gharbia Minister for Relations with Constitutional Bodies, Civil Society and Human Rights, our local partners from around the country, our guests from Morocco, and all of you for taking …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 24 October, 2017 | Topics: Featured Event, Job Opportunities, News, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: economic growth, Grants, MEPI, news, Tunisia, US Embassy
MEPI grantee Specific Union for Women Farmers (SUWF) initiated the “Building the Business Leadership of Jordan’s Women Farmers” project by conducting a needs assessment to identify the training needs of 500 female farmers who own businesses. SUWF then selected 120 female participants and contacted a consultant to prepare the training material, which will be delivered …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 9 August, 2017 | Topics: Economic Issues, Events, Gender Issues, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: MEPI
On July 12, Education for Employment concluded its MEPI funded project entitled “Supporting Civic Responsibility and Private Sector Job Creation in Tunisia” with its 10th graduation ceremony to celebrate the graduation of 288 Tunisians who were placed in jobs in seven enterprises. CDA Benjamin Moeling had the opportunity to meet with some of the graduates and …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 17 July, 2017 | Topics: Alumni, Economic Issues, Events, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Success Stories
Les Grandes Ecoles de Communication (GEC) held the closing ceremony of the “Improve Tourism Etiquette” #MEPI funded project on June 29. The project aims to improve customer service, communication soft skills, and tourism work etiquette in 100 degree-holding candidates seeking employment from 5 different cities (Tunis, Hammamet, Sousse, Jerba, and Tozeur). The project also included …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 11 July, 2017 | Topics: Economic Issues, Events, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: MEPI, Success Stories, Tunisia
While still in its early development stage, Morocco’s startup ecosystem has the potential to reinvigorate the small business environment and reduce the 40 percent youth unemployment rate. In 2013, Start Up Your Life, a non-profit organization with the mission of helping early and seed startups grow and turn into high-potential businesses, operates at the “seed” …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 6 July, 2017 | Topics: Economic Issues, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: economic growth, MEPI, Morocco, Success Stories
The Libya media landscape continues to experience polarization, lack of press freedom, and insufficient employment opportunities for new graduates. The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)’s MEPI-funded Media Lab within the University of Tripoli has worked to tackle these issues by providing practical media skills training to over 1,200 journalism students, including more than 300 …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 5 July, 2017 | Topics: Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Libya, media, MEPI
Yasmina Zaz is a twenty-years-old from Safi, deaf and only able to communicate through sign, Yasmina nevertheless did not give up and continued vocational training as a beautician. But despite her diploma and experience, she was unable to find a job and earn an income. “For a long time, I felt that opening my own business was an unrealistic dream,” Yasmina said. “But …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 21 June, 2017 | Topics: Economic Issues, Featured Event, Gender Issues, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Success Stories
Malika, a widow and a mother of six, is a beneficiary of the EYEM project from Moulay Abdellah. She is a proactive woman, driven by her strong will and self-confidence, which allowed her to capitalize on her five years of experience as a cook to create her own snack-bar. “The EYEM grant helped me to buy the necessary …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 21 June, 2017 | Topics: Economic Issues, Featured Event, Gender Issues, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Success Stories
Yassine Khalfaoui, a 32-year-old nurse from Safi, dreamed of opening his own pharmaceutical shop to provide high quality services in Safi. Yassine graduated from the Canadian school, Diana of the Polyvalent Nurse in Safi in 2010. He then undertook various internships at Mohamed 5 Hospital, the Nour Clinics surgical unit, and at different clinicsthat helped him gain skills. Through the Scouts Association of …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 26 May, 2017 | Topics: Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Success Stories
Khadija Elhammal, a 35-year-old hairstylist and makeup artist from Safi, Morocco, knew launching her own salon would come with its challenges. But with her determination and support from the Empowering Youth through Entrepreneurship in Morocco (EYEM) team, Khadija successfully opened her own salon. Khadija received a diploma in hairstyling and aesthetics from the National Initiative …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 6 April, 2017 | Topics: Featured Event, Job Opportunities, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Entrepreneurship, MEPI, Morocco, Success Stories
Malika was born and brought up in Midelt, a small town in the high plains of central Morocco. Without access to a school after her primary years, Malika was unable to continue her education and began studying sewing, as it did not require fluency in French. After a year of professional training in sewing in Tangier, Malika undertook an internship and …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 4 April, 2017 | Topics: Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Entrepreneurship, MEPI, Success Stories, women
Hajar Addani grew up in Khouribga City and El Jadida, Morocco where she studied computer science in college and excelled in her program. In 2015, Hajar was accepted to the US Diversity Visa Lottery Program—a program that grants eligible candidates a chance to legally immigrate to the United States to live and work. Hajar believed that the opportunity would be life changing …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 4 April, 2017 | Topics: Economic Issues, Featured Event, Gender Issues, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Entrepreneurship, MEPI, Morocco, Success Stories, women
Farah Souimtou is an expert tailor who for years dreamed of opening her own business. After earning a diploma in tailoring from a private tailoring school in Safi in 2004, she remained on as a trainer for 12 more years. Now at age 32 and the mother of a four year old son, Farah wants to build something on her …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 4 April, 2017 | Topics: Economic Issues, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Entrepreneurship, MEPI, Morocco, Success Stories, women
Said Grilou from Safi, Morroco, worked in several different technology companies after receiving a degree in computer science from the Specialized Institute of Applied Technology (ISTA) in 2012. In an effort to put all he had learned at ISTA into practice and truly utilize his degree, 29-year-old Said decided to start his own business repairing and selling computers and other similar …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 3 April, 2017 | Topics: Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Entrepreneurship, MEPI, Morocco, Success Stories
Imad Elmarkchi immigrated to Libya to work as a laborer in construction and landscaping, hopeful to provide better economic opportunities for his family. With the revolution in Libya, he had to return to his family in Morocco still in a difficult financial situation and in search of a better way of life. After his experience in Libya, Imad wanted to …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 3 April, 2017 | Topics: Economic Issues, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: MEPI, Morocco, Success Stories
Hayat Bachak is a 26-year-old kinesiotherapist from El Jadida, Morocco—and now also an entrepreneur, running her own clinic to help patients of all ages manage pain, facilitate recovery, and prevent disease. The youngest of seven children, Hayat graduated with a degree in Kinesiotherapy from the Institute of Technology and Auxiliary and Multi-Purpose Nurses (ITIAP) in El Jadida in 2013. While in school, Hayat …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 3 April, 2017 | Topics: Featured Event, Gender Issues, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, News, Success Stories, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: MEPI, Morocco, Success Stories, women
During January 2017 “JEST for Entrepreneurship and Development “a MEPI Local Grantee started a series of Leadership and Entrepreneurship workshops as part of the MEPI funded project entitled “Jerusalem Organic Youth (JOY) “. This project aims to inspire the new generation in East Jerusalem about leadership, entrepreneurship and coding, which are topics not tackled in …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 22 February, 2017 | Topics: Business, Economic Issues, Education, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: economic growth, Entrepreneurship, MEPI, Youth
Espace Al Hayat Pour l’Insertion Sociale is a Rabat based NGO that works on social development and economic inclusion. MEPI helped Al Hayat set up a computer lab, sewing classrooms, and equipped the center with gardening and electricity tools. They also trained 100 youth in gardening, plumbing, electricity skills and in computer science and are currently …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 22 February, 2017 | Topics: Economic Issues, Gender Issues, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: MENA, MEPI, Morocco
Learning from the PeaceCorps model, CorpsAfrica launched a new model for Moroccan volunteers to help their own communities – particularly challenging when the culture of volunteerism is not that pervasive. MEPI has been a key partner to helping CorpsAfrica get started and established. Now in its third year of operations, CorpsAfrica’s project “Volunteerism and Community …
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By The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) | 21 February, 2017 | Topics: Events, Featured Event, Job Opportunities, Near East & North Africa, Success Stories, Trade, U.S. & MEPI | Tags: Entrepreneurship, MENA, MEPI, MEPI LAA, Middle East, Success Stories, Youth