Keef Shaifha: The reality of entrepreneurship in Gaza as part of the entrepreneurial identity campaign
As part of the activities of Yalla Change 3, 40 young men and women set out on Keef Shaifha tour to learn more about the work of incubators and accelerators in the Gaza Strip and their role in supporting the entrepreneurial sector in the Gaza Strip. This tour was part of the entrepreneurial identity campaign, which was one of the ideas of the Yalla Challenge- Initiatives Camp.
The first stop on the tour was with the Business and Technology Incubator- BTI at the Islamic University, which is one of the first business incubators in the Gaza Strip. During the visit, the youth got acquainted with what the incubator offers to the entrepreneurs, and the reality of entrepreneurship in Gaza, and the most important obstacles facing entrepreneurs. A successful group of entrepreneurial projects were also presented in the session.
On the second stop of the tour, the youth visited UCAS Technology Incubator, where they also learned about the services provided by the incubator for entrepreneurs and the new projects launched by the incubator. They concluded the tour by talking with the agricultural projects accelerator.
The youth have asked a number of questions regarding the new Ministry of Empowerment and Entrepreneurship and the role that they will play in the entrepreneurial sector in Gaza. Mr. Ashraf Hijazi from BTI said that there has been no communication between the Ministry and incubators in the Gaza Strip and that the last communication was an invitation to attend a conference only.
Hadeel Abuzaid, community mobilizer at SDF, explained that “in light of the difficult economic conditions in the Gaza Strip and the high unemployment rate, it is necessary to inform the youth of solutions and alternatives that will enable them to create job opportunities for themselves and benefit the society as a whole, and here lies the importance of this tour”
The tour also included a tweeting session in which the youth shared the most important outputs and recommendations of the tour, in addition to providing educational content on the entrepreneurial environment in general.