Dubai: The Sharjah Capability Development (Tatweer) has partnered Empwr to launch a youth-focussed leadership development and mental well-being programme. ‘Wathba’ will run as a year-long programme, and launch on January 23.
Empwr is a venture led by Ally Salama of ‘Forbes 30 Under 30’, and will see 12 wellness workshops of one-hour duration for 18-31 year olds from corporates, universities, government institutions and business schools. Wathba will choose a yearly cohort of 30 individuals.
In the first edition, Empwr will be supported by FloraMind, a US-based youth mental health organization led by Forbes 1,000 honoree and World Economic Forum speaker, Mahmoud Khedr.
Youth connections
“Tatweer has been invested in the power of the youth,” said Khalid Al Nakhi, Acting Director of Tatweer. “We believe it’s our utmost responsibility to ensure that youth have access to support networks, resources, and an environment conducive to learning. With Wathba, we aim to do this at scale, unlocking the potential of youth across the MENA region.”
The joint initiative will include 12 wellness workshops of one-hour duration each, accessible to youth aged between 18-31 from corporates, universities, schools, and government institutions in the MENA region. The one-on-one program will offer safe spaces for discussions and opportunities for personalized learning.
The programme will be accessible across the region, starting with the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. FloraMind and Empwr have a region-wide partnership, which enables faster rollout of the “clinically-approved curriculum”.
Empwr launched the region’s first mental health magazine, besides launching an anonymous social platform tailored to an Arabic audience. There is also the ‘Empathy Always Wins’ podcast for people to share their stories with the community, empowering them to find acceptance without the fear of being judged or shamed. It is working on an app while enhancing its podcasting network.
