Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
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TAKING THE ROAD THAT IS LESS TRAVELED: SELF-EMPLOYMENT:23-year-old Ahmad Al-Ramahi had plans to graduate with an Information Technology degree from Birzeit University, Palestinian Territories and go on to teach. But in his last year at school, a SPARK-supported Business Plan Competition veered him in a different direction.
Al-Ramahi and three peers gathered in June 2010 to brainstorm possible Business Plans to submit to the Business Start-up Center Ramallah Competition. Since then, Al-Ramahi has not stopped dreaming up new ways to build a successful business that can attract customers, grow, and share new ideas, technologies and opportunities with Palestine and the surrounding region.
"Here, it's so challenging," said Al-Ramahi, "To prove for myself and for the others that we can as young people... make real business, and we can depend on it."
SPARK began cooperating with Birzeit University in 2009 in an effort to provide promising young Palestinian entrepreneurs - like Al-Ramahi - the skills and knowledge they need to pioneer regional business activities, and invigorate the local economy.
Each year, 1.600 students graduate from Palestinian Universities, but because of a lack of job opportunities, most remain underemployed. Together, SPARK and Birzeit University established the Business Start-up Center (BSC) Ramallah, with the goal of guiding Palestinian youth toward becoming innovative technicians and successful entrepreneurs - beginning with the Business Plan Competition.
Achievements and Awards
Al-Ramahi and his team won third place in the July competition. The BSC Ramallah awarded them a seed fund grant of 2,700 dollars, approximately 16 hours of legal and technical consulting, training in business and accounting basics, and a small office to use for three months at Birzeit University.
On 2 February 2011, Al-Ramahi and his partner Hassan Jaddes (Engineer, Birzeit University ‘10), officially registered their company Concepts Ltd. (www.concepts.ps), offering e-marketing, e-commerce services, graphic design, 2D and 3D Animations, web design, web hosting and domains, printing, branding services, and photography.
Al-Ramahi explained that Concepts is affecting the region by creating job opportunities in the local market and emphasizing environmental awareness by offering recycling discounts. He also highlighted various mixes as adding value to their project: Concepts is a mix of guys and girls, skin colours, specializations (media, marketing, engineering, software development, graphic design), and geographic origin, including Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Gaining 17 clients and employing six freelancers in three months, their business is growing faster than expected. Within six months, Al-Ramahi hopes to have earned enough capital to have new employees, new equipment, and a new office.
"We benefit," said Al-Ramanhi, "Other people benefit."
SPARK will continue working as a partner with BSC Ramallah, implementing a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) development programme focusing on creating 8559 jobs and supporting 1337 Enterprises in Rwanda, Burundi, Kosovo, Liberia and the Palestinian Territories over the next five years.
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