A Chapter of Growth & Hope, Amidst a Heavy Year

2024 has been a year full of achievements despite its many challenges. It has also been a year with many new beginnings for Jusoor. It was a year where we continued to create communities of changemakers and future leaders to collectively create impact. It was also a year where we had to continue to adapt and be agile with the violent escalations in our region. Let us take you back on this journey, what we learned through it, and how we are moving forward into 2025 full of hope for the future of Syria.

The year kicked off with the wonderful news that our Entrepreneurship Program’s online incubator for startups has become an accredited educational program by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD Global) under its Online Course Certification System (EOCCS). Jusoor is the first NGO and non-university-based organization running a business incubation program to be accredited by EFMD Global. 

We also celebrated the graduation of our young learners in our three refugee education centers. With some moving to regular schools and others continuing their education at our centers, we couldn’t be more proud of our 2,464 young learners. 

Our partner school, Pine Community School (PCS)/The Ali Ghandour Schooling for Excellence and Diversity (AGSED) in the village of Derkousheh in Chouf, has also celebrated the graduation and end of the year of its students in the presence of Fadi Ghandour, representing the Ghandour family who generously support the school.

This summer marked the graduation of 63 high school scholarship students who completed Grade 12  at Toyour Al-Amal School, AlRowad School, and our Jurahiya Center, passing their exams with an impressive success rate of 86%. We are proud that eight students received the IIE Odyssee scholarship to continue their university education in Lebanon. 

From celebrating our students to being celebrated publicly, we were honored to receive the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice under the theme “Humanity in Action” from The Harmony Foundation. This award, presented in Mumbai, India, recognizes Jusoor’s commitment to empowering Syrian children and youth through education. 

We were also thrilled to be selected as MIT Solvers. Along with our partners Silicon Valley-based EdTech company Lirvana Labs., Yeti Confetti for Refugees, a platform bringing AI learning to our Refugee Education Centers in Lebanon, is one of six selected Solver teams in MIT Solve’s Global Learning Challenge! Not only that, at the MIT Solve 2024 Launch Event in September, we were also awarded the GSR Foundation Prize, which recognizes solutions that innovatively use technology to address pressing issues in their communities.

Finally, we cannot bring up certifications and awards without mentioning how proud we are of our 12 Refugee Education Center teachers who graduated from the 24-credit, three-semester course ‘Education in Emergencies’ at the Modern University for Business and Science in Lebanon. The course will equip our teachers to better support our students and will strengthen their professional foundation and long-term career stability.

We ran two new entrepreneurship projects this year. Championing Women in Business Leadership was dedicated to tackling the distinct obstacles encountered by women founders during the initial stages of launching their companies in the MENA region and Türkiye. On the other hand, Disruptors brought together 38 promising tech startups based in Jordan and Türkiye to expedite their path to becoming investable startups. This project addressed the current market challenge of identifying investable ventures effectively by providing comprehensive support and resources.

We also kicked off The Aya Project, which aims to connect refugee talent with remote job opportunities, celebrating its launch at an event in London. Jusoor has been facilitating hires by offering comprehensive training for employees as well as guidance for employers on remote management practices. The Aya Project has successfully matched two refugees with remote employment opportunities. Our Tech Talent Pipeline fast-tracks talented software engineers’ careers and has also placed four talented engineers in remote jobs.

In February, we hosted a conference in New York City that brought together Jusoor scholars, alumni, team, and board members, as well as guests from across the Syrian and Arab-American communities, to build a community on the East Coast to galvanize change. 

We also organized a professional development webinar for our scholars & alumni, called the Remote Job Readiness Webinar. Several major topics were covered such as developing an online presence, utilizing AI to develop a profile, building professional networks, preparing for a remote environment, exploring learning resources and job platforms, and a brief LinkedIn update activity. 

Finally, our Entrepreneurship Program celebrated its tenth anniversary at an event in Amman that brought together 12.5% investors who can unlock potentials for the startups, 10.3% donors who can fuel possibilities, 21% are Jusoor startups who inspire us with their ideas, and the remaining attendees comprise community enablers who play a crucial role in supporting and driving entrepreneurial success.

As students around Lebanon were getting ready to start their academic year, the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon had reached multiple areas in Lebanon, including Bekaa and Bourj Hammoud, where our Refugee Education Centers are located. Prompted to close our doors for the safety of our community, we quickly rallied our teachers to find ways to continue delivering education to our young learners.

We adapted our online WhatsApp-based learning Azima program to reach hundreds of children.‍ Delivering lessons in math, English, Arabic, and life skills, we managed to keep the children learning and engaged throughout the war, despite not being in school.

Not only that, we also adapted our Future Skills Project to take place online. The 75 students, aged 14-–17 enrolled, were engaged in sessions on coding, robotics, critical thinking, and English to equip them with 21st-century skills. 

Our students from ages three all through adolescence continued to inspire us with their ability to adapt and their thirst for knowledge, despite the circumstances surrounding them.

As 2024 comes to a close, we can’t help but be inspired by the events that unfolded in Syria this month. While this moment is not without its uncertainties for Syria’s future, it is a moment of great potential — and we cannot wait to play a vital role in our country’s future. At Jusoor, we remain steadfast in our commitment to Syria’s youth and communities, and we are eager to be part of this historical change. Together, we can help pave the way toward a future that reflects the strength and aspirations of all Syrians. 

Happy New Year!