Palestine

Overview
The Near East Foundation (NEF) has worked in the Palestinian Territories since 1995 and has been registered with the Palestinian Authority as an international NGO since 2000. With the support of donors such as the UNDP, WFP, UNICEF, USAID, MEPI, and the Government of Sharjah, NEF has worked in tandem with local and international organizations to implement a range of projects in education, agriculture, environment and youth development. Based in Nablus, NEF-Palestine’s program staff—all of whom are from the West Bank—includes technical specialists in enterprise, community, and agricultural development.
The NEF-Palestine team has cultivated long-term relationships with community organizations and government officials in dozens of villages across the northern West Bank. These enduring partnerships provide NEF with intimate knowledge of vulnerable Palestinian communities and a foundation of trust for mobilizing community action. Current activities are oriented around three core programs: early childhood education and school feeding, support for the olive oil sector, and support for women’s economic empowerment through business associations.
In 2008, NEF helped establish the Palestinian Center for Agriculture Research and Development, whose members include community organizers and prominent technical specialists with whom NEF has collaborated regularly over the past 15 years. Our support to the Center is part of a long-term strategy to help establish a robust, creative, and highly competent indigenous development NGO.
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Projects

Generating Revenue Opportunities for Women and Youth in the West Bank (GROW)
Background
Women entrepreneurs in Palestine face significant barriers in their pursuit of starting or expanding businesses including lack of access to: 1) opportunities to access business development training, 2) capital, 3) new markets and 4) a supportive community and policy environment that recognizes and values women’s economic and social rights.
Impact
With funding with the Government of Canada and in partnership with CowaterSogema, NEF is implementing programming that will increase economic empowerment and prosperity for low-income women in Palestine. Working with women and young women leaders mainly in the agricultural sector, NEF will work to advance productivity and competitive advantage for women while making efforts to increase their role in social and economic spheres in Palestine. Components of the project will include business management training, assistance in the development and implementation of sustainable business plans, technical training on processing techniques and innovative marketing, and the use of cooperatives to provide a network of support.

Palestinian Agricultural Water Managment (PAWM)
Background
Restricted access to land, water, agricultural inputs, and markets has harmed the agricultural sector and the welfare of Palestinian farmers. Closure has slowed the flow of technology and market information into the West Bank. Cut off from new agricultural technologies, Palestinian farmers continue to rely heavily on traditional practices with little innovation and few opportunities to increase their income. However, improvements in productivity and market access through the adoption of improved technologies can benefit both Israeli and Palestinian farmers and markets.
Impact
NEF expects 33 date farmers and 111 greenhouse farmers will adopt advanced irrigation systems with crop management technologies over 507 ha, and hundreds more will have improved understanding of and access to farm improvement loans. NEF expects that farmers that adopt advanced irrigation systems will experience an increase in gross margin of 20% on average and a 40% reduction in the amount of water used at the farm level. In total, PAWM will reach at least 522 unique beneficiaries over the project implementation period of which 30% (157) will be women. PAWM creates a sustainable and locally-owned foundation for modernizing Palestinian agriculture and improving product quality by establishing private sector mechanisms for technology dissemination and farm equipment financing. This is expected to reduce the trade imbalance and increase farmer productivity and profit for both Israelis and Palestinian, resulting in additional collaboration and reduced tensions.

Exchange for Progress: Agronomists Without Borders
Background
Mobility limitations have resulted in a generation of Palestinian and Israeli youth who are susceptible to negative stereotypes, having never known people from the ‘other side’. The separation barrier stifles social and economic ties between the West Bank and Israel. Today, only 21% of Jewish Israelis indicate that their communities interact with Palestinians from the West Bank; Palestinian interactions are generally limited to Israeli settlers and soldiers. Cut off from agricultural developments, significant productivity disparity exists as Palestinian farmers rely on traditional practices with little innovation and few opportunities to increase income.
Impact
The goal of the project is to support conflict mitigation and reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis by building greater understanding and trust between the two communities through cross-border peacebuilding & negotiation training, trade events, policy roundtables, production & post-harvest skills training, and joint actions to remove barriers for cross-border economic collaboration. This increased people-to-people engagement will offer greater opportunity for economic activities between the two communities, particularly in the date, dairy, herb and vegetable sectors, while also helping to break down mistrust and competition that can lead to violence. Through this project, NEF will work with 152 young Palestinian and Israeli agronomy students; 1,600 community stakeholders, including farmers, processors, & distributors; and 60 industry, government or academic leaders.

Cross-Border Agricultural Partnerships: Reconciliation through Agricultural Cooperation and Development
Background
Farmers in both Palestine and Israel have the potential to increase the value of their products and access new markets; however systemic barriers and a lack of trust between the two communities limit the development of these opportunities. This has led to lower incomes for farmers, high unemployment among potential agronomists & farm innovators in rural communities, and lower productivity for agribusinesses in general. Among community leaders and politicians, there is limited collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli authorities, and opportunities to reduce the barriers to cross-border economic collaboration between farming communities have yet to be realised. Most people’s experiences and perceptions of “the other” are generally negative, with limited daily contact that can build understanding and trust between Palestinians and Israelis. With funding provided by the EU, NEF UK will be working to overcome these barriers, contributing to both economic and social improvements in communities on both sides of the border affected by the ongoing conflict.
Impact
This project will Improve conditions for cooperation in agribusiness development, and support cross-border joint ventures in value chain development of olive, date, and vegetable producers. NEF UK will train 25 agronomists from Palestine and Israel to provide peer-to-peer training and support through community-based agriculture extension services for 2,400 people (400 young farm innovators and 2,000 additional community farmers) to introduce improved production and post-harvest handling techniques. Small grants will be provided to catalyse cross-border value chain development initiatives. NEF UK will also engage 30 leaders on both sides of the border to encourage policy changes that support cross-border information & technology sharing and greater market access.

Greening Deir Sharaf and Jenin (Waste-Water Reuse)
Background
NEF is establishing a network of twenty 0.7-hectare (7 dunum) agriculture innovation sites to introduce and adapt the practice of wastewater reuse for irrigated agriculture. Using wastewater from the Jenin Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plan, the project aims to work closely with farmers and community leaders in the northern West Bank to increase production and demonstrate how treated wastewater can be reused safely in agricultural production and to begin to build Palestinian experience in this area.
Impact
(2015) In phase two of the project, NEF has completed land preparation for 10 hectares (irrigation systems, fences, etc.); 70% of trees have been planted (to be completed by the end of October); 25 farmers and 30 Ministry of Agriculture agronomists trained; 25 Palestinian farmers, agronomists and community leaders participated in a study tour, including Israeli farms and a treated water plant in Israel.

Early Childhood Education & School Feeding
Background
In the West Bank, young children are particularly affected by malnutrition; 25 percent are malnourished and 45 percent go to school without an adequate breakfast. NEF’s School Feeding Program (SFP) began in 2004 as a pilot with the World Food Program (WFP) to develop a community-led, highly participatory approach to school feeding in kindergartens. The key innovation was to engage community-based women’s centers in the preparation of fortified snack foods, which are then distributed to clusters of kindergartens through a local network of transporters.
Impact
NEF worked with the WFP to establish criteria for targeting schools and women’s centers to reach the neediest people in the West Bank. School selection focused on food insecure areas; women’s centers were selected according to the geographical distribution of kindergartens as well as their capacity; and poor, unemployed women and those from women-headed households were hired as cooks. Initially serving 2,500 kids in 17 kindergartens in Asira Alshamalih, the program expanded over the subsequent five years. By 2009-10, NEF’s SFP provided nutritionally rich mid-morning snacks to 17,000 kindergarten children on a daily basis (32.7 percent of the total 52,000 kindergarteners in West Bank).

Supporting Women's Economic Development & Business Associations
Background
Many Palestinian women struggle to maintain a household because they have historically been excluded from opportunities to develop job skills. Across the West Bank, recent NEF projects have created hundreds of jobs and significant increases in income for women, giving them the unprecedented ability to provide for their families. Despite this progress, there remains considerable unrealized potential to create sustainable economic development for women in the northern West Bank.
Impact
NEF aims to create permanent jobs and generate income in the northern West Bank by providing more than 200 women entrepreneurs with business management training, small grants, and microfinance; helping start 100 new microenterprises; and creating 300 new jobs. Key to the success of this program is developing ongoing peer mentorship to launch a new generation of women entrepreneurs.
Over 290 women have been trained in business development (90 over target), more than 234 business plans have been prepared by project participants; 254 jobs created, 100 new businesses have been launched or expanded; 20 school canteens part of a microfranchise initiative that is achieving the goals of ensuring healthy food choices and increased income for employee shareholders and 5 women’s associations. Networking meetings are providing an important opportunity for entrepreneurs to share ideas about overcoming obstacles and managing profitable businesses.

Olive Oil Without Borders: Building Economic Cooperation in Palestine, Israel, and Jordan
Background
In its third three-year phase (2016 - 2019) of the Olive Oil without Borders project, NEF has expanded this project to new communities in Israel and the West Bank, as well as Jordan.
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the most enduring and explosive conflicts in the world. In recent years, only 21% of Jewish Israelis indicate that their communities interact with Palestinians from the West Bank; similarly, interactions for Palestinians is limited to Israeli settlers and military. However, there is demonstrated interest at the community level on both sides to renew relations. Jordan, one of two Arab nations to have normalized relations with Israel, plays a critical role in supporting regional stability and providing Arab support for a two-state solution. As neighbors to the conflict, they are strategically placed to mediate and promote peace. OOWB III seeks to engage Jordanian public opinion and catalyze action to improve the regional enabling environment for peace while building personal relationships across borders. The olive industry, a cornerstone of rural livelihoods in the region, provides a point of cooperation and a common interest from which to build new relationships, institutions and enterprises. Economic cooperation within the olive sector provides an entry point for developing relationships that support conflict resolution and from which changing attitudes and behavior towards the ‘other’ can spill over.
Impact
Since 2005, NEF has successfully trained more than 3,000 Palestinian olive farmers in improved production, harvesting, and post-harvest processing techniques. Using these proven strategies, the project activities are designed to increase olive productivity, improve olive oil quality, and strengthen competitiveness in the marketplace. Given the market opportunities and the shared importance of the olive oil industry to Palestinian and Israeli farmers, the Near East Foundation (NEF) is seizing a unique opportunity to promote reconciliation and collaboration between the two groups at a time when the diplomatic process is at a standstill. Between October of 2016 and September of 2017 NEF identified 20 new olive oil companies (7 from the West Bank, 7 from Jordan, and 6 from Israel) to participate in joint meetings next quarter in Amman and Tel Aviv to discuss opportunities for coordination on the export of organic and premium quality olive oil.

Advancing Women's Businesses in Palestine
Background
Due to living in remote areas, restricted mobility, and sociocultural barriers, Palestinian women lack opportunities to access targeted business training, markets, and capital. The goal of the three-year Advancing Women’s Businesses in Palestine project is to empower women entrepreneurs to grow profitable and sustainable businesses that are market-oriented, scalable, and create jobs.
Impact
NEF UK in partnership with the Blair Foundation is tapping into the economic potential of Palestinian women by strengthening their entrepreneurial skills and offering them intense business training and coaching. Ultimately, the project will select 60 women to receive one-on-one incubation services to accelerate the growth of their businesses. The project also will identify key linkages with local financial institutions to facilitate women’s access to capital, thereby ensuring they will be able to take their businesses to the next level.

Youth Agribusiness Partnership
Background
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the most enduring and explosive in the world. Israeli closure policies have had a negative impact on the Palestinian economy and on the agricultural sector in particular. Limitations on mobility have resulted in a generation of Palestinian and Israeli youth who have never known people from the “other side” and are therefore susceptible to negative stereotypes.
NEF and its partners aim to bring about systemic change in the agricultural economies by providing agribusiness and entrepreneurship training for young Palestinian and Israeli men and women ages 21 to 35; facilitate cross-border agribusiness enterprises through small grants and technical assistance; and promote reconciliation and cooperation through communications and cross-border stakeholder workshops. The resulting businesses will increase productivity, income, and cross-border trade.
Impact
172 project beneficiaries have participated in cross-border agribusiness training sessions in the vegetable, herb, date, and sheep sectors. 51 joint-business plans submitted, and 19 plans (30 individuals) were selected for funding. Businesses include: dried fruits/vegetables; medicinal plants; and wheat grass juice among others. The first roundtable for the sheep cohort was held in September. The roundtables help develop the technical and business skills of workshop participants and build relationships among stakeholder networks across borders.
People We Serve
Our work is based on a conviction that, to play an active role in the development of their communities and countries, people need opportunities and tools: the knowledge to participate in civic and economic life, a voice in public decisions that affect their wellbeing, and a means of making a meaningful living.

Dana
Palestinian Territories
Dana graduated from An-Najah University with a degree in education methods in 2015, but was unable to find a job in her village of Sabstyia in the West Bank due to the high level of competition for teaching positions. To keep her skills sharp while seeking employment, Dana decided to volunteer at a local school where she introduced new teaching methods through creative activities and games for children.
When she learned about the Near East Foundation’s Palestinian Women’s Microenterprise Development (PWMD) project funded by the Rangoonwala Foundation, she saw an opportunity to turn her passion and experience into a business endeavor—an alternative teaching center. She submitted an application and completed the project’s five-day training course.
“After the training, I became more confident in marketing my business concept,” Dana said. “I could communicate to the parents the value of teaching children through fun activities and games in order to achieve results.”
Dana’s business was selected by the project's steering committee to receive a grant to help her launch her innovative education center for children. With the grant, Dana was able to recruit and hire another young woman to help her open the learning center, which she aptly named Fun to Learn.
Initially Dana faced challenges in launching the center. Some parents were resistant to the new and unconventional methods it was implementing. However, after they saw the improvements in their children’s performance, the value of the center became clear. Parents have reported that their children have shown an increased commitment to their classes and improved grades, and have demonstrated a stronger desire to learn. Students are now encouraging their friends to join Dana’s center.
“The grant from the project allowed me to cover some needs at the learning center,” Dana said. “I was able to continue and to not be afraid to implement any new ideas that contribute to the development of our society and awareness for our generation."
Dana and her colleagues continue to make improvements to the center and are determined to show that one person can make a difference in many lives. Enrollment has steadily increased, which will allow Dana to hire on two or three recent education graduates over the next year.
NEF, in partnership with the Rangoonwala Foundation, has trained over 300 Palestinian women in entrepreneurial and business development, and has helped launch over 140 businesses in the region.
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi

Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Palestinian Territories
Fatmeh, a 48-year-old woman from Ramallah city, went from being a chef at a university cafeteria for 14 years to owning a small catering business and expanding it into a café. When she first opened Em Sameer Kitchen Fatmeh could only provide food for pickup orders because her store’s location didn’t include a sink, chairs, tables, or a refrigerator.
Four years after opening her café, still determined to grow her business, Fatmeh applied to NEF’s program. “I participated because I felt that I needed some managerial support,” Fatmeh said. “I have enough experience in making food; however, I was really in need of business and management training.”
After receiving training in marketing, product development, branding, and financial management, Fatmeh submitted her improved business plan and was awarded with a grant and loan of $3,400. She purchased refrigerators and raw food materials helping her to increase production.
After making these improvements to her business model and with the profits she made from the café, Fatmeh opened a dine-in restaurant where people could enjoy her specialty pastries and homemade Palestinian dishes. “Every woman should have a specific goal and vision,” Fatmeh said. “And depend on herself to achieve her goals and dreams.”
Fatmeh still continues to participate in NEF’s project—but this time, she works as a mentor for a different group of women entrepreneurs who want to see their businesses flourish. Through the improvement of her business model, Fatmeh’s business has substantially grown requiring her to hire additional employees to keep up with the café’s demand.
Today, Fatmeh reflects on her experience as a women entrepreneur:
“If a woman starts her business and she fails, that does not mean she should give up, she should learn from her experiences and become stronger to start again.”
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi

Jameela Al-Azait
Palestinian Territories
When Jameela’s husband unexpectedly died at a young age, she was left to single-handedly provide for her four young sons. Jameela, from Al-Azaa refugee camp north of Bethlehem, decided to turn her embroidery hobby into a small home-based business as a solution to support her family.
Jameela’s reputation and recognition for embroidery work quickly grew in her community, creating a higher demand for her products.
With a desire to expand her business to meet her increased demand, Jameela signed up to receive six months of NEF’s business development trainings and one-on-one coaching. She received training in business and financial management, branding, and marketing. Although she had owned her own business for several years, this was the first business development training Jameela had received.
Through the program, she was able to participate in local Bazaars to market her products and network with other people who were also a part of a similar line of work. At the Bazaars Jameela gained the attention of a large number of tourists every day—increasing her profits by 30 percent.
Today, Jameela’s business is well known in Hebron and Bethlehem. Along with improving her and her family’s life by turning a small home-based business into a successful embroidery shop, she also employs 15 women—mainly widows—providing them with sustainable income as well.
“My dream now is to expand my business more and more and to create more jobs for the women in need,” Jameela said. “The project not only impacted my business, it has also had an impact on my personality. I was living as a widow and only needed money to pay my
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi

Fadia Zahda
Palestinian Territories
Fadia, a university student from Hebron City and a divorced mother of three, created her own small home-based business—Wonder of Paper—which repurposes scrap paper into art pieces such as sculptures, toys, accessories, and various decorations.
For Fadia, the challenge of being a single parent and soul provider for her family made establishing her business that much more difficult. Despite this, Fadia succeeded in starting her business while completing her studies in “graphic design”.
A few years after the launch of Wonder of Paper, Fadia heard and signed up for NEF’s program. As a result of the trainings, Fadia developed an improved business plan, which led her to later receive a project supported grant. Through this grant, Fadia was able to invest in equipment that more efficiently met the demands of her business and shortened the time she spent handcrafting her products. She was also able to hire four female university students to help her, which in turn allowed them to embark on their own path to financial independence.
With extra time and help on her hands, Fadia has expanded the variety of products she sells to include hair accessories, school supplies for children, medals, and photo albums. She said, “Because of this experience, I have expanded my business. My work has increased. My business capital was 300 NIS (less than $100/month) and now it is 800 NIS (more than $250/month).”
Today, Fadia’s business has grown to the point where she is able to support her family and pay her university loans. She hopes to continue to expand Wonder of Paper, and soon host a summer camp at her store to teach children different forms of art.
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi
Carmen Dweikat
Palestinian Territories
It was only September of 2013 when a young student finishing a Computer Programming degree became inspired to change her future. Carmen Dweikat always loved making henna artwork and took every opportunity to practice and perfect her abilities. She never considered starting her own business to do it full-time.
“I was scared in the beginning,” she said. “I was just practicing my skills as a hobby. I never had the motivation to turn it into a business, but the Near East Foundation (NEF) opens the door for us to participate.”
Carmen approached NEF through a local association, the Bita Womens’ Association for Development, where she volunteers. She liked the idea of a plan to support women’s business plans by first raising most of the capital and then receiving a grant from NEF and its UK-based partner, the Rangoonwala Foundation, which shares NEF’s mission of empowering communities through long-term sustainable development.
“I really liked the idea of the woman and NEF contributing to the total amount in the business plan.” Carmen remarked. “It makes a woman take her business more seriously and provides a sense of belonging.”
In total, NEF is providing training to 200 Palestinian women entrepreneurs. The effort, which began in October 2012, aims to support the creation of 150 new businesses. On average, women entrepreneurs provide 75% of the start-up capital and NEF contributes the remaining 25%. The program allows Carmen and women entrepreneurs like her to make plans for the future.
“I hope NEF continues to include more women so they can benefit from this program as I have benefitted. And I hope NEF keeps following up with us to help improve and expand our microenterprises,” she said. “For example, I am planning on expanding my microenterprise into face painting.”
Other women participating in the project are pursuing businesses in a range of areas including small farming, baking, and retail shops.
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi
Latifa Qasim
Palestinian Territories
A few months ago, Latifa Qasim saw a great business opportunity in her West Bank village of Haris.
She and other local women were traveling a few kilometers to a neighboring village every time they needed to buy spices for cooking. Latifa realized that there was a demand for these products in her community – and that she had the potential to meet this need. Less than five months later, Latifa turned her idea into an operational business with support from the Near East Foundation (NEF).
Latifa applied to an NEF program that helps Palestinian women in the West Bank achieve financial independence and security by starting their own small businesses. NEF conducts regular training workshops for women in microenterprise development and business management, then assists them in creating their business and marketing plans. The women submit their own market studies, feasibility analyses, and budgets for consideration to receive start-up funding.
Latifa testified to the effectiveness of the training sessions, saying “Learning accounting and marketing was so helpful.” With her skill of mixing spices and her new business training, Latifa started a spice trade from a small room in her house. She buys spices in bulk and repackages them for sale.
In a short period of time, word about her spices and their high quality spread. Village women now save time and invest in their community by supporting Latifa’s locally owned business. Because of her hard work in market research and her own financial contributions, Latifa received a project start-up grant of $300 to launch her business.
Latifa’s life has changed in many ways. “I am more self-confident now,” she remarked. “It means a lot for me to be self-sufficient and to have my own money from my own business.”
In total, NEF is providing training to 200 Palestinian women entrepreneurs like Latifa. The effort, which began in October 2012, aims to support the creation of 150 new businesses. On average, women entrepreneurs provide 75% of the start-up capital and NEF contributes the remaining 25%. This work is made possible by funding from the U.K.-based Rangoonwala Foundation, which shares NEF’s belief in empowering communities through sustainable, long-term economic development.
Just because Latifa finished the program doesn’t mean her affiliation ends. Some of the most effective help NEF provides women is ongoing business coaching and continued support through its growing network of entrepreneurs. This fosters peer advising and mentoring among small business owners to help women like Latifa address emerging challenges and stay in business well into the future.
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi
Amneh
Palestinian Territories
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi
Ayala Noy
Palestinian Territories
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi
Balata Women’s Association
Palestinian Territories
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi
Mohammad Sholi
Palestinian Territories
Dana
Fatmeh Sa’adeh
Jameela Al-Azait
Fadia Zahda
Carmen Dweikat
Latifa Qasim
Amneh
Ayala Noy
Balata Women’s Association
Mohammad Sholi