Seven contending projects have secured financial support from Social Entrepreneurship Challenge project, one of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development's (KAFD) projects, during the current cycle launched this year under the slogan "Don't Leave Your Idea on Paper".
KAFD's Director Mr. Mazen Tabbalat signed support agreements for the winning projects. These projects span various sectors, including education, tourism, economy, agriculture, environment, and technology.
The projects will receive financial support with amounts not exceeding JD 5,000 for individuals and youth groups, and support ranging between JD10 to 15 thousand for civil society institutions.
Two projects from civil society institutions have won: The "We Rise for Sustainable Development" center (Ruwwad Platform), which aims to enhance the capabilities of project idea holders around digital skills, preparing them for the labor market and improving their economic opportunities.
The other winner is the "Ajloun Story" initiative of the Nabd Cultural Forum Association, which aims to promote and market local Ajloun products and raise awareness of their importance.
In the category of individuals and youth groups, five projects won:
1. The "Ola" project, a virtual reality game used to treat children with mobility challenges by immersing them in 3D environments for therapeutic goals.
2. The "Biozolla" project for producing high-nutritional-value fodder at low costs using hydroponic technologies.
3. The Agricultural Entrepreneurial Network, a digital platform connecting agricultural projects with traders and consumers while addressing challenges related to the agricultural supply chain.
4. The H-5 recycling project, which addresses the accumulation of organic waste in the Safawi village and its Badia, converting it into environmentally-friendly organic fertilizer.
5. The "Tamim and Reem" project, an educational cartoon content in sign language and Arabic aimed to help children with hearing disabilities, was broadcast on YouTube.
A neutral technical committee of experts selected the winning projects. After reviewing the submitted applications, the qualified projects were shortlisted, and their owners underwent a specialized training program to enhance their technical skills for project development. This culminated in a presentation, leading to the final evaluation and announcement of the results.
According to the project's development plan for this cycle, the age range for applications from individuals and youth groups was expanded to 22-40 years. Civil society institutions were also invited to partake in the competition, making sure that entrepreneurs with innovative ideas from across the board were given the opportunity to join.
The Social Entrepreneurship Challenge project aims to encourage youth to engage in positive competition and promote a culture of initiative, contribution, and active citizenship to contribute to the development of their governorates and enhance positivity by presenting examples of young people who have made positive changes in their local communities.
It is worth noting that the project, launched in 2019, has supported 12 projects in previous cycles, providing a total of 1,797 direct and indirect opportunities.