Testimonials on the website of Injaz-UAE — an organisation helping youngsters gain entrepreneurial and financial skills so they can opt fora career that suits their aptitude — are a clear reflection of the extent of the project's success.
"The Injaz project has provided us withan excellent opportunity to discover the world of business, in addition to playing a major role in building the personality of all students. Also it was a great opportunity to form many friendships," writes Osama Mohammad Refai from Mohammad Bin Rashid Public Schoolfor Boys.
"Personally, the Injaz programme was important to me, because it helped me to discover my talents in the business world.Also, the programme supports these talents with clear and correct plans which will help me successfully reach my goals in the future," says Salwa Abdullah from Za'abeel Public Schoolfor Girls.
Injaz is the Arabian version of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, a non-profit organisation focusing on youth education with a legacy that dates back to 1919. It was founded by Theodore Vail, president of American Telephone & Telegraph; Horace Moses, president of Strathmore Paper Co; and Senator Murray Crane of Massachusetts.
Vail's words sum up the organisation's mission: "The future of our country depends upon making every individual fully realise the obligations and responsibilities belonging to citizenship. Habits are formed in youth. What we need... is to teach the growing generations to realise that thrift and economy, coupledwith industry, are necessary now as they were in past generations."
The very first programme, known as the JA Company Program, was offered to high school students in Boston on an after-school basis by the founder volunteers. Today, JA has a mind-boggling number of volunteers - 300,000 - and it reaches ten million students every year across the globe. The volunteers take as many as 25,000 classes a day. JA Worldwide is the largest non-profit group in the world, having franchisees in 123 countries and the Middle East operations are headquartered in Jordan under the name Injaz Al Arab.
At Injaz, quite like JA, volunteers and professionals from different industries connect with underprivileged school students and share their knowledge with them. "We act as catalysts [for] the students. Injaz inspires, innovates and gives the necessary skills that allow the youth to be more confident," says Sulaf Al Zu'bi, CEO of Injaz UAE.
Injaz-UAE was initiated in 2005 and, thanks to Sulaf and her team's dedication, was able to forge long-term partnerships with educational councils and officially launched operations in 2008. "I think economic prosperity is vital.The UAE is walking through the affluence with its head held high. [It has] created and positioned [itself] as a business hub fora prolonged period. I want students hereto be given even more opportunities.''
At training sessions, students are encouraged to experience, enquire and learn. "If someone is interested in setting up a business, we [teach them how to] do it. We also create mock problems within ‘their' company and ask the kids to resolve them. It is a trial-and-error process. The idea of experiencing life-like situations instead of [only] theoretical studies creates an adrenaline rush in teenagers," explains Dalia Hilmy, the communications manager of the Injaz-UAE chapter.
The process
Each franchise of JA Worldwide has independent offices which follow the same structure, themes and courses.
The Injaz courses follow the guidelines of the parent organisation, JA Worldwide, and are custom created according to the needs of the UAE economy. "Our courses are localised and translated to suit the culture. For example,we don't consider babysitting as an earning mode for teenagers in the UAE because in this culture it is not as popular as it is in the West. Instead, we try to teach the children by using examples that students may come across in their daily life," says Sulaf, a graduate in socio-cultural anthropology from Brigham Young University in the US.
"Most children have the dream of managing a large office or heading a big organisation. But when we ask them how they plan to achieve their dream, many stumble to find an answer. What we do is create positive reality checks on how they can achieve their dreams,'' says Sulaf. "We want students to understand and learn how to deal with the real issues a workforce or a company may face, so that they can be prepared when they face such or similar issues in the future. We also give them the courage, confidence and skills to excel in life," she says.
Interestingly there have been occasions when students, after attending a few classes conducted by Injaz, have stepped up to saythat they do not want to become entrepreneurs or take up a career in business. "I have had many students telling me ‘this is not whatI want'," says Sulaf. She views this as a positive outcome as it means the project has been able to direct these students to channel their abilities towards a career which suits their aptitude and thus not be forced to take up a job they might regret later.
"We start our activities by linking up with business persons who are keen to build a bright future through the education of youth in the country. They help us with financial aid to run the activities of Injaz. The funds are used for printing kits and other necessary material for training, as well as to run the office.
"In the second phase, Injaz seeks volunteers who are willing to repay society in some noble way. If, for instance, we find a professional who wants to give back… to share his success and knowledge… we put such individuals in touch with our students.
"The best thing about the volunteers who work with us is that they are available in the market in real time and can transfer current information to the students, helping them be better prepared to face the real world.
"In developing economies, there is a huge gap between what is taught in school and the skills that are required in the job market. We have done scientific research on skills needed in the private sector and the skills present in the students. This has led us to a clear understanding of the role we need to playin society," says Sulaf.
Making it real
According to research conducted by Injaz, students remember 90 per cent of what they experience, only 50 per cent of what they see, and barely 20 per cent of what they hear. So, in the Injaz classroom, students are made to focus on applying themselves to real-life situations.
"The three areas we focus on are work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial readiness. We test them by posing problems for which they have to find solutions. We ask students to interpret abstract complex ideas of entrepreneurship in their own fashion. Instead of relying on classic academic formulae, we complement it in our own style by adding an element of excitement in having to deal with real-life experiences," says Sulaf.
"At Injaz, we believe in breaking the fear factor at an early age. Once the students [get over their nervousness and anxiety of dealing with problems], their performance level rises. Our long-term study of Injaz graduates has shown that 20 per cent of Injaz beneficiaries have turned to entrepreneurship at some point in their career. Also 33 per cent of the programme graduates have ended up in upper management, and this includes 66 per cent female candidates," says Sulaf proudly.
Living her passion
During the initial days of working with Injaz, Sulaf volunteered to train students at underprivileged schools, after which she went on to head large projects.
"I was delighted when I was offered [the chance] to ‘live' out my passion," she says of her job. "I am lucky to do what I love. Injaz is not a job now, but a lifestyle for me. I enjoy the challenges," says Sulaf.
The volunteers who work for Injaz are very passionate about their jobs. With fund-raising, strategic plan executions, volunteers' availability, coordinating with schools and holding workshops, among other things, their work is not easy.
"[The job is stressful] but we are happy with the gain that the society is making. We make sure that we sustain the credibility of the organisation with a high morale," says Dalia.
"The volunteers are the true inspiration as they transfer knowledge to youngsters. If someone wants to change the world, let them volunteer to make a difference," says Sulaf.
She began her career in Jordan as a teaching assistant but soon found that limiting so moved on and became a communication specialist, then an intercultural consultant. Realising that these positions were not what she really wanted to do, she decided to become an entrepreneur. However, the business failed and she was quite literally back to square one.
It was at this time that her friend, Reem Al Rasheed, suggested volunteering at a career fair. Little did she realise then it was an event that would change her life. "It was at the career fair in Jordan that I came to know about Injaz," she explains.
The more she learnt about Injaz, the more Sulaf was convinced it was just the organisation she wanted to work with. She then signed up as a volunteer which, she says, "changed my life drastically" .
After a stint in Jordan, she was asked to head the operations in the UAE in 2005.
A success story
"We, at Injaz, are trying to shape the youth with entrepreneurship in the backdrop as that leads to job opportunities. We are the first hundred yards of the relay race in life. We are very focused on what we want to achieve. The formal education gives academic excellence to the students. We focus on practical excellence," explains Sulaf.
Injaz-UAE is looking for better partnership with the private business sector to aid their vision. Support and commitments from the school authorities are also vital to attain the goals and Injaz is progressing with its objectives. "Convincing someone to give time for sessions is challenging. A lot of formalities with the school management are needed to conduct workshop at their premises. Our aim is to reach 20,000 students in the UAE by 2013. We need tremendous support from schools, volunteers and business entities to pull us forward. We are looking forward to widening our network."
Making a difference
Who: Injaz UAE
What: A non-profit organisation providing a push in the right direction to budding entrepreneurs
How: By educating aspiring business people through trial and error with guidance from experienced people in the field
