Pushing more Syrians to commit the act of the start
Pushing more Syrians to commit the act of the start
I claim to have no effectual bias in life, except one that favors entrepreneurs. It does not apply to business entrepreneurs only, but to everyone that has the unwavering spirit to start anything that can lead to positive change. Good intentions alone never clothed anyone. When asked to define entrepreneurship, I tend to avoid all the business language about market, opportunity, and risk, and the confusion of the many definitions of the originally French word. My answer has always made sense: entrepreneurship is the “art of the start,” and entrepreneurs are artists that see only a seed but draw a tree. Their vision and belief make them feel safe to commit the act of the start.
Many Syrians are investing their expertise, hard work, personal goodwill, and sweat equity in new “starts” that the country needs badly. Many of these are in business; many are not. NOSSTIA is an example; the NGO was founded in 2001 by Syrian scientists, technologists, and innovators living abroad. Among other notable activities, NOSSTIA launched a biennial conference in Damascus that attracted hundreds of the leading international figures in research, science, and technology. The achievement was to bring the world-famous brand of the IEEE as the umbrella. It’s no secret this survived immense resistance from lobbies that stand in the way of any leverage or advantage Syria would benefit from. NOSSTIA’s contribution to Syria is yet to grow and mature, but it’s the channel for the Syrian minds that built prosperity around the world to lend a hand to their home country.
The same applies to SYEA, which started in 2004 to advocate entrepreneurship and push young people to be “job makers not job seekers.” It took many years of experience before SYEA was able to formulate a modus operandi. It has today several programs and projects that usher young people into the business world, focusing on lowering the psychological barrier to starting a business, including the fear of failure and the perception of the lack of a level playing field. SYEA also provides access to experience and expertise, to a large business network, and to finance. Among their noted projects is an annual job fair, with more than 4,000 entry-level jobs secured in the past three years. Another groundbreaking program is SYEA Ventures, an annual entrepreneurship competition, whose winner gets a 1 million SP prize to finance their startup. It literally has changed the lives of hundreds of participants.
SYEA was the first organization dedicated to creating a better future for young people, thus handing the ownership of tomorrow to Syria’s able young men and women. Today it’s not the only one. SHABAB, a program of the Syrian Trust for Development, dedicates its effort to exposing school students to business experience; developing key skills like responsibility and understanding of others, and helping them improve their employability. Another program is SKILLS, a joint initiative by the Syrian Enterprise and Business Center and the SME Support Program. Everyone in their first batch of graduates received a diploma, and to many it was their first and only, as universities admission requirements or tuition was too high. They will go to fill the managerial and administrative vacancies that the current labor market fills with either under-qualified or over-qualified candidates. BIDAYA provides micro-loans and business mentoring to very small startups, and currently has more than 70 beneficiaries and a 95% return rate. Some of the now expanding entrepreneurs didn’t have the money to go back home after the interview to get approved for the loan.
The starts are in every field. BASMA provides care, medication, and treatment support to children with cancer and their families, focusing its efforts on patients in state-owned hospitals. Tumuhi is an endowment for college scholarship, and it offers financial aid to outstanding students whose enrollment to the workforce immediately after obligatory education is a financial necessity to the family, or rural students whose means are too limited to provide lodging and transportation to the cities where the universities are. Hifz al-Ne’ma (a charity that repackages donations of surplus food and old items), Annada (poor communities empowerment), AMAL (for the disabled), MAWRED (empowering women), and JCI (youth empowerment through volunteerism), are all remarkable examples of the commitment of Syrians to social entrepreneurship. The list goes on.
Regardless how many starts we have, we will always need more. Syria needs more entrepreneurs to bring together the efforts of civil society, government, and the private sector. None of the organizations above was possible without cooperation between the three sectors. The human and financial resources of any single entity are limited, and their direct effect is smaller than the need. Their indirect effect however is huge, and more success stories will trigger more starts. Syria needs to invest in her people’s potential, and push them to start something, regardless of how big or small, and without fearing to fail. Syria needs entrepreneurs to take the challenge and the risk, and have the vision and the patience to make the change. Those who commit the act rarely aim for today. The results of their actions need years to show. They don’t get bored or frustrated, and they keep trying and moving forward, one step at a time. Concluding his powerful speech at the SKILLS graduation ceremony, program director Nawaf Zeidan said, “the smallest deed is better than the grandest intention.” Indeed, he said it all.
Many Syrians are investing their expertise, hard work, personal goodwill, and sweat equity in new “starts” that the country needs badly. Many of these are in business; many are not. NOSSTIA is an example; the NGO was founded in 2001 by Syrian scientists, technologists, and innovators living abroad. Among other notable activities, NOSSTIA launched a biennial conference in Damascus that attracted hundreds of the leading international figures in research, science, and technology. The achievement was to bring the world-famous brand of the IEEE as the umbrella. It’s no secret this survived immense resistance from lobbies that stand in the way of any leverage or advantage Syria would benefit from. NOSSTIA’s contribution to Syria is yet to grow and mature, but it’s the channel for the Syrian minds that built prosperity around the world to lend a hand to their home country.
The same applies to SYEA, which started in 2004 to advocate entrepreneurship and push young people to be “job makers not job seekers.” It took many years of experience before SYEA was able to formulate a modus operandi. It has today several programs and projects that usher young people into the business world, focusing on lowering the psychological barrier to starting a business, including the fear of failure and the perception of the lack of a level playing field. SYEA also provides access to experience and expertise, to a large business network, and to finance. Among their noted projects is an annual job fair, with more than 4,000 entry-level jobs secured in the past three years. Another groundbreaking program is SYEA Ventures, an annual entrepreneurship competition, whose winner gets a 1 million SP prize to finance their startup. It literally has changed the lives of hundreds of participants.
SYEA was the first organization dedicated to creating a better future for young people, thus handing the ownership of tomorrow to Syria’s able young men and women. Today it’s not the only one. SHABAB, a program of the Syrian Trust for Development, dedicates its effort to exposing school students to business experience; developing key skills like responsibility and understanding of others, and helping them improve their employability. Another program is SKILLS, a joint initiative by the Syrian Enterprise and Business Center and the SME Support Program. Everyone in their first batch of graduates received a diploma, and to many it was their first and only, as universities admission requirements or tuition was too high. They will go to fill the managerial and administrative vacancies that the current labor market fills with either under-qualified or over-qualified candidates. BIDAYA provides micro-loans and business mentoring to very small startups, and currently has more than 70 beneficiaries and a 95% return rate. Some of the now expanding entrepreneurs didn’t have the money to go back home after the interview to get approved for the loan.
The starts are in every field. BASMA provides care, medication, and treatment support to children with cancer and their families, focusing its efforts on patients in state-owned hospitals. Tumuhi is an endowment for college scholarship, and it offers financial aid to outstanding students whose enrollment to the workforce immediately after obligatory education is a financial necessity to the family, or rural students whose means are too limited to provide lodging and transportation to the cities where the universities are. Hifz al-Ne’ma (a charity that repackages donations of surplus food and old items), Annada (poor communities empowerment), AMAL (for the disabled), MAWRED (empowering women), and JCI (youth empowerment through volunteerism), are all remarkable examples of the commitment of Syrians to social entrepreneurship. The list goes on.
Regardless how many starts we have, we will always need more. Syria needs more entrepreneurs to bring together the efforts of civil society, government, and the private sector. None of the organizations above was possible without cooperation between the three sectors. The human and financial resources of any single entity are limited, and their direct effect is smaller than the need. Their indirect effect however is huge, and more success stories will trigger more starts. Syria needs to invest in her people’s potential, and push them to start something, regardless of how big or small, and without fearing to fail. Syria needs entrepreneurs to take the challenge and the risk, and have the vision and the patience to make the change. Those who commit the act rarely aim for today. The results of their actions need years to show. They don’t get bored or frustrated, and they keep trying and moving forward, one step at a time. Concluding his powerful speech at the SKILLS graduation ceremony, program director Nawaf Zeidan said, “the smallest deed is better than the grandest intention.” Indeed, he said it all.
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