Near East Foundation

Period: 2010-Present
Primary Donor(s): Embassy of New Zealand in Ankara

This nascent program builds on relationships that NEF established with women’s associations over the past eight years. Through the World Food Program-supported School Feeding Program (SFP), NEF established very close relationships with 24 women’s associations across the northern West Bank. Over the past 6 years, NEF mentored these associations to help them put in place management and operational systems to be more effective SFP partners. This has included training in basic business management and support to diversify their sources of income. In 2006, for example, NEF worked with the Asira Al Shamaleyeh Ladies Club to create a soap processing unit in Asira Al Shamaleyeh Municipality to create job opportunities for unemployed women in the area.

More recently, with modest support from the Embassy of New Zealand, NEF implemented a comprehensive basic training in organizational and business management for leaders of 10 women’s associations who had participated in the WFP-sponsored school feeding program. In the short time since the training (September – November 2010), the associations have already been able to put their new knowledge and skills to work. While funding for this initiative has finished, NEF staff actively continues to coach association members in applying their new skills and strengthen their cooperative businesses.