Youth Business Support Units

Timeframe: January 2008 – January 2010
Locations: Ramallah, Jerusalem, Tubas, Jericho, Jenin, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Gaza City and Rafah
Donor/s: UNDP-PAPP, Islamic Development Bank Al-Aqsa Fund

Youth Business Support Units provided all the necessary services and resources for a start-up business to succeed. All units were equipped with computer labs, working spaces, training halls, and most importantly a competent team that provided guidance and support to young entrepreneurs.

The Youth Business Support Units project aimed to:

• Provide self-employment opportunities for young people and their families with a view to reducing household poverty

• Establish youth focused mixed-use business incubation units

The target group was youth aged 18-30 with a business idea who were also facing household poverty. Youth were selected, then given training and direct support establishing their business, including a grant. They were given extensive support in starting the business followed by ongoing support from local youth business counselors.

Particular lessons learned

The project highlighted a number of external factors that challenge young entrepreneurs in Palestine, in particular: occupation, economic performance, lack of skills and training, culture and attitudes and competition. Youth require extensive support in developing good ideas and in adapting their attitudes to be able to succeed in starting a sustainable business.

Project Fact Box

• Expert training provided to 413 individuals

• 182 households received business start up grants

• 87 households experienced increases in monthly income

• 161 businesses sustained over the lifetime of the project

• 2 business incubation units established and operating

Shadi Saed al-Batar takes a step forward.

Having previously worked in Hebron’s shoe industry, Shadi Saed al-Batar dreamed of starting up his own shoe factory. Coming from a very poor family, Shadi believed that by opening his own enterprise, he would be able to generate sufficient income to meet the needs of his family. The grant that he received from Sharek Youth Forum provided him with the means to establish a shoe factory with his brother Jawwad, both of whom benefited immediately with full-time employment. Since then, the factory has been very successful and has expanded to employ eight other individuals, who, without their jobs, would most likely be unemployed.

Shadi and Jawwad continuously work on improving the business by increasing the number of machines and hiring new workers as demand for their products increases. As a direct result of opening the business, both Shadi and his brother have experienced significantly higher incomes, which have directly contributed to improved economic stability for their entire family.