29.03.2018

The EMCC-accredited nonprofit Mowgli Mentoring has partnered with the SANAD Technical Assistance Facility (SANAD TAF) to provide a six-month mentoring program for Syrian refugees funded by Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank (OeEB), the development bank of Austria.

The program's objective is to provide personal and professional mentoring support to Syrian entrepreneurs based in the Greater Amman Municipality area. SANAD TAF's mandate is to fuel the growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from the startup and pre-startup phases to sustainable businesses.

Speaking on this partnership, Mowgli's CEO Kathleen Bury stated, "This partnership speaks to the heart of what both our organisations seek to achieve in the long run, which is providing an enabling environment within the ecosystem to drive job creation and social and economic development. We are therefore excited to be working with SANAD TAF to further contribute to the prosperity of enterprises owned by Syrian and Jordanian nationals, empowering them to tap into their innate potential and further fuel their growth and sustainability."

Given the growing unemployment rate in Jordan, organisations such as Mowgli and SANAD TAF are working to contribute by supporting entrepreneurs – who are, today, the key drivers of job creation. This program aims to empower refugees as the main beneficiaries, matching 15 entrepreneurs to 15 mentors, all based in Jordan, for one-on-one, structured mentoring.

Speaking on the program, Ines Ebrecht, Chairperson of the SANAD Technical Assistance Facility Committee, said: "We are very pleased at this opportunity to join Mowgli in supporting the economic development of Syrian entrepreneurs in Jordan. The SANAD Technical Assistance Facility has been working in favor of refugees in Jordan and Lebanon since 2015, and this valuable mentoring program will be an essential vehicle for furthering positive impact in the region."

To raise awareness among the beneficiaries, their families and society at large about the importance of mentoring and its impact, as well as its potential to bridge the gap between host and refugee communities, Mowgli facilitated a Mentoring Awareness Session (MAS) on Monday, 26 March for individuals interested in becoming mentees and mentors within this program. The MAS introduced Mowgli's EMCC-accredited mentoring methodology to define mentoring, discuss the benefits for both mentors and mentees and provide detailed information about the program and its commitment requirements.

About Mowgli Mentoring

Mowgli Mentoring is a not-for-profit organisation driving inclusive economic and social change in the Middle East and Africa. Mowgli's unique, award-winning methodology provides a supportive framework which empowers entrepreneurs, corporate employees, women and youth to unlock their potential and seize new opportunities.

Over the past decade Mowgli has worked with philanthropists, and local and international governmental and private sector partners to provide mentoring across 16 countries in the Middle East and Africa. Mowgli has trained more than a thousand mentors who have supported entrepreneurs from all sectors. They create and safeguard jobs, producing a significant economic and social return on investment.

Mowgli Mentoring's methodology supports long-term professional and personal development through systematically matching mentors with mentees, and providing structured support as they co-develop long-term, trust-based relationships. Our volunteer mentors are trained to listen, guide and inspire, and they testify as to how the mentoring process also helps their own development. Mowgli's approach is a practical and sustainable way of developing human capital to the benefit of the whole community.

As a recognised leader in the field of mentoring, we were awarded the European Quality Award by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) in 2016 for our program syllabus and the Mohammed bin Rashid Best Mentor Network in the Region in 2012.

For more on Mowgli Mentoring, visit www.mowgli.org.uk

About the SANAD Fund for MSME

Established in 2011, the SANAD Fund for MSME finances micro, small and medium enterprises and low-income households in the Middle East and North Africa via qualified local lenders. SANAD thereby fosters economic development and job creation – including youth employment – agriculture, affordable housing, and innovations in finance and financial technologies. SANAD strives to meet these goals by providing debt and equity financing to its local partners.

The SANAD Technical Assistance Facility multiplies the fund's development impact and outreach through capacity-building with partner institutions, developing financial infrastructures according to the principles of responsible finance and conducting much required R&D. SANAD's investors include the KfW Development Bank, which initiated the fund; the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); the European Union; Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO); OeEB, the Development Bank of Austria; Germany's GLS Bank and GLS Treuhand; and the Dutch development bank FMO. A public-private partnership, the fund is advised by Finance in Motion GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. For more information, please visit: www.sanad.lu

For Media Enquiries

Contact: Mahassine Mir
Email: mahassine.mir@mowgli.org.uk