Silatech facts for kids
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| Formation | 2008 |
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| Type | Private |
| Headquarters | Doha, Qatar |
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Key people
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Moza bint Nasser, founder Hassan Al Mulla, CEO |
| Website | http://www.silatech.org |
Silatech (Arabic: صلتك) is an organization from Qatar. It was started by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser. The name Silatech means "your connection" in Arabic. This group helps young people in the Arab world find jobs and create their own businesses. They focus on people aged 18 to 30. By 2016, Silatech had helped 200,000 young Arabs get jobs. They work with governments, companies, and other groups to achieve their goals.
How Silatech Started
Silatech began in January 2008. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned launched it at a big meeting called the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Forum. It first focused on six countries: Bahrain, Morocco, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen.
The money to start Silatech, $100 million, came from Sheikha Mozah and the former leader of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Silatech officially started its work in 2009. Some of its first partners included Cisco, Gallup, and ImagineNations. Silatech aims to help with the large number of young people in the Arab world. They want to lower youth unemployment, which was very high in some areas.
What Silatech Does
In 2016, Silatech was working in 16 countries. They had projects with partners to help young people with many things. These included getting small loans, career advice, and help with starting businesses. They also worked on community involvement and research.
Helping Young People Get Jobs
Silatech works with companies like Cisco and Microsoft to create online tools. One tool is called Ta3meel. It offers online training and helps young people connect with possible employers. The goal is to reach millions of young people.
Another program, Tamheed, helps young people figure out what careers might be good for them. It uses online tests and has been used in Qatar, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In Tunisia, Silatech launched MobiWorks in 2013. This was a mobile phone platform that helped 300,000 Tunisians quickly. It offered learning for starting businesses, career advice, and how to manage money.
Silatech also helps with in-person career counseling. For example, they trained people in the West Bank to give career advice to young Palestinians. They also helped create a special course for construction workers in Yemen. Over 1,000 workers were trained in 2010.
Helping with Money and Savings
Silatech helps young people learn about saving money. In Morocco, they started a program called "Tawfir al-Ghad" (Saving for Tomorrow). It helps 30,000 young people open savings accounts and learn about money. This idea also helped 11,000 young people in Yemen open savings accounts for the first time. The program has also grown to Egypt.
Small Loans for Businesses
Silatech helps young people get small loans to start or grow their businesses. In 2011, they helped create a fund in Egypt to support small and medium-sized businesses.
They also worked with UNWRA to create 'Mubaderati' (Initiatives) in 2012. This program gives money to young business owners in Palestine. Silatech helps by guaranteeing part of the loan, which makes it easier for young people to get money.
In Morocco, they launched "Boudour" (Seed) in 2012. This was the first loan product just for young people. By June 2013, over 7,000 young business owners had received these loans.
Silatech also partnered with Kiva in 2012. Kiva is an online platform where people can lend small amounts of money to help others. Through "Kiva Arab Youth," people could lend money to young business owners in the Arab world. Silatech matched these loans, helping to raise $3 million for 2,500 young people by April 2013.
They also worked with Dahabshiil and the American Red Cross in 2013 to help people in Somalia get funding for their ideas.
By 2012, Silatech had helped start or grow 15,000 businesses run by young people. This made them a big supporter of youth microfinance in the Arab region.
Investing in Small Businesses
In October 2012, Silatech started SILA. This is a group of investors who help new businesses in Qatar get started. They worked with Qatar Development Bank and other groups on this.
Fun Competitions
Silatech supports competitions that encourage new business ideas. The Al Fikra Business Plan Competition gives prizes and advice to winners. Silatech also helped with the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Business Plan competition.
In 2014, Silatech held the first Arab Mobile App Challenge. Young people from different countries created new mobile apps. Workshops were held, and then competitions took place. The winners received cash prizes and got to show their ideas at a big event in Barcelona.
Important Meetings
Silatech organizes meetings to discuss how to help young people. In 2012, they brought together 300 young people and government officials in Benghazi, Libya. This led to the creation of a National Youth Leadership Council.
In 2013, they organized the Arab Youth and Entrepreneurship Conference in Qatar. About 300 people discussed challenges for young business owners. They also talked about how local governments and companies could help. Silatech also held a conference in California to connect people from the Arab world with experts and innovators.
Learning Through Research
Silatech works with groups like Gallup to study what young people think about jobs and starting businesses. They publish reports twice a year called the ‘Silatech Index.’ These reports measure young people's opinions on job creation, getting resources, and problems they face.
In 2012, Silatech also worked with other groups to study microfinance organizations. They wanted to find out how to better help young people with money.
Getting Involved in the Community
Silatech helps universities in countries like Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, and Yemen. They offer grants to help these universities teach students about getting involved in their communities. In 2014, they held a meeting in Jordan for university leaders to discuss this topic.
Silatech's Programs
Youth Employment Initiative in Qatar, Al Amal Bil Amaal
This program helps young men and women in Qatar find jobs. It follows Qatar's plan for the future, which aims to help all Qataris grow and succeed. The program helps people who are unemployed or need new skills to get jobs in Qatar.
Bedaya Center
The Bedaya Center helps young people with their careers. It is a partnership between Silatech and Qatar Development Bank. It offers career guidance, helps young people learn job skills, and provides mentoring. It also helps with volunteering and training.
Qatar Ta3mal Youth Employability Portal
Qatar Ta3mal is an online place for young Qataris to find jobs. It is a project by Silatech and Microsoft. It offers career advice tools, online courses, and training for jobs and starting businesses. It also lists entry-level job openings. One tool, Tamheed, helps young people get personalized career advice. Many college students in Qatar use Tamheed.
TAMM Volunteer Network
"Tamm" means "consider it done" in Qatari Arabic. This network helps young people volunteer and get involved in their communities. It connects volunteers with organizations that need help online. Silatech helped start Tamm in 2015 with other groups.
Challenge 22
Challenge 22 is an award started in 2015. Silatech is one of the partners. It encourages young inventors and scientists from the Middle East and North Africa to show their new ideas.
GEM Report
Silatech worked with Qatar University to conduct the first Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey in Qatar. This survey collected information on how people in Qatar, both citizens and residents, feel about starting businesses.
