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Google.org Awards Grants Totaling $1.3 Million in the Middle East and North Africa

Spark will provide digital-training to refugees in the MENA region.
Spark will provide digital-training to refugees in the MENA region.
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Google.org Awards Grants Totaling $1.3 Million in the Middle East and North Africa

Spark will provide digital-training to refugees in the MENA region.
Spark will provide digital-training to refugees in the MENA region.

Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, will grant $1.3 million to three non-profit organizations in the Middle East and North Africa, with the aim of providing entrepreneurs and job seekers with the necessary technical skills over the next two years. The role of the grant recipients (I Dare for Sustainable Development (I Dare), Helm, and Spark) is to reach people from various backgrounds in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and the United Arab Emirates.

Helm, an NGO that promotes the inclusion and employment of people with disabilities, will receive a $400,000 grant; Spark, an NGO that provides young people in conflict-affected areas with the skills needed for success, will receive a $600,000 grant. I Dare, a non-profit organization that promotes positive growth in young people for sustainable change, will receive a $300,000 grant.

To improve its outreach efforts to the labor market and enhance its inclusiveness, Helm will launch workshops in Arabic and English, in which sign language translation, as well as additional segments for interpretation and explanation, will be provided. These workshops will focus on digital literacy and how to use the English language to communicate in the business world, and its aim is to teach participants digital and other skills required in the labor market. The workshops will be held in Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates over an extended period of 18 months, with more than 1,000 expected participants.

Furthermore, Helm will communicate with a range of bodies from the public and private sectors to help create and enhance job opportunities for people with special needs and connect employers with skilled job seekers. This grant will also help Helm complete its mission of improving access to high-quality education and providing training programs that recognize the needs of persons with disabilities in order to provide better employment and skill-development opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Spark, which has seen that many refugees and displaced young people around the world have lost their jobs and sources of income in light of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, will use the grant funding to host digital skills training sessions for 250 young refugees, inviting members of local communities from Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, as well as providing training and mentoring sessions to more than 100 business owners to help them develop their businesses. Launching a region-wide competition for startup owners, Spark will launch a digital networking platform to connect 1,500 male and female entrepreneurs with university fresh graduates and job seekers in order to exchange experiences and opportunities. This grant opens doors to providing sustainable employment opportunities for refugees and young men and women in the Middle East in high-demand markets and in line with global trends. It will also support startups and employment in the tech and digital sectors across underprivileged refugee communities in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine.

Through its project, C-Hub, I Dare seeks to support change-makers, especially women, by providing them with the skills that they need to build a sustainable future for themselves. To improve employment equity in Jordan, it will use its grant to train 200 young women, including those without previous work experience, on an array of skills, including product marketing and design thinking.

The organization will also provide training courses on the safe use of machines in handicrafts, such as carpentry and digital fabrication. The program will run for three years as part of the C-Hub project titled “I Dare.” This grant is part of Google.org's Impact Challenges for Women and Girls initiative, which aims to fund organizations to pave the way to the prosperity of women and girls alike.

These grants are some of the commitments made by Google to improve digital skills in the Middle East and North Africa region and support business growth. Last year, the company pledged to help one million individuals and businesses in the Middle East and North Africa, providing them with digital skills and helping them grow their business by the end of 2021. So far, more than 950,000 people have benefited from it, with the new grants and digital training opportunities expected to expand and reach more beneficiaries across the region.

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Syrians Integrated in Germany Face Uncertainty Over Return

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Anas Modamani, one of Germany’s most well-known Syrian refugees (Getty Images)
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Anas Modamani, one of Germany’s most well-known Syrian refugees (Getty Images)
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Syrians Integrated in Germany Face Uncertainty Over Return

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Anas Modamani, one of Germany’s most well-known Syrian refugees (Getty Images)
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Anas Modamani, one of Germany’s most well-known Syrian refugees (Getty Images)

Twelve years after his famous selfie with then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Anas Modamani, one of Germany’s most well-known Syrian refugees, appears at ease in his adopted homeland.

At the time, Modamani had no idea who Merkel was when he snapped the photo during her visit to the asylum center where he was staying. Today, however, he feels as deeply connected to Germany as he does to his homeland, Syria.

Modamani, like many Syrians who fled to Germany after the 2011 uprising, faces a tough decision: stay in Germany or return to Syria.

With hopes of a post-Assad era, Modamani, originally from Daraya near Damascus, plans to visit his family in Syria and help rebuild their home.

“I want to split my time between Germany and Syria and start projects in both countries,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Damascus is the most beautiful city on earth, but I love Germany, and Berlin is my second home.”

Modamani has fully embraced life in Germany, learning the language, gaining citizenship, joining the workforce, and building a relationship with Anna, a Ukrainian woman.

His German passport makes it easier to plan trips back to Syria without worrying about losing his residency or legal status in Germany.

Modamani is among nearly 260,000 Syrian refugees who have obtained German citizenship. However, more than 700,000 Syrians in Germany remain on asylum or temporary protection permits—status that could be revoked if conditions in Syria improve.

The shifting situation in Damascus has left Syrian refugees and German authorities in limbo. Decisions on 47,000 migration applications from Syrians have been paused as officials wait for more clarity.

Germany’s asylum policies were based on fears of war and persecution. With those fears easing after the fall of Assad, the legal basis for granting protection may no longer exist.

The uncertainty has sparked political debate. Some politicians, including Social Democrats in the ruling government, have called for changes to asylum rules.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser suggested keeping refugees who are integrated or employed while deporting others.

Talk of deporting Syrian refugees in Germany seems tied to the upcoming February 23 elections.

While temporary residency permits can be revoked, Syria must first be declared “safe and stable” by the Foreign Ministry—a process that could take years.

Even with delays in Germany labeling Syria “safe,” most Syrian refugees show little interest in returning. Before Assad’s fall, 94% said they wanted to stay, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

The longer refugees live in Germany, the stronger their ties become. Many arrived over five years ago, with some having spent a decade in the country.

Siamand Osman, a Syrian Kurdish refugee from Qamishli, has been in Germany for 11 years. He learned the language, gained citizenship, and built a life, even though most of his family remains in Syria. For now, he has no plans to go back.

Osman told Asharq Al-Awsat that the situation in Kurdish areas of Syria is still unstable.

“I want to return—my family is there—but I hope all sides in Syria can agree and bring peace to our region,” he said.

Osman’s biggest fear is the return of war.

“Imagine leaving everything behind, selling my belongings, and going back to Syria, only to have the war start again and force me to flee once more,” he says. Despite this, he is determined to return when the situation improves.

Economic instability is another key factor contributing to Syrians’ reluctance to return home. Alaa Muhrez, who arrived in Germany in 2015, explained that the economic situation in Syria plays a significant role in her decision.

She told Asharq Al-Awsat that she “rebuilt her life from scratch.”

After learning the language and training in her profession as an accountant, Muhrez is now working in her field and has gained German citizenship.

Despite her strong optimism for Syria’s future, Muhrez, originally from Homs, remains cautious about the situation there and the country’s potential trajectory in the coming years.

She fears leaving her job and home in Berlin, only to return to Syria and struggle to find suitable employment.

For Syrian families, the decision to stay or return is even more difficult. Many arrived with children who have forgotten Arabic and spent years learning German.

Anas Fahd, from Sweida, came to Germany almost three years ago with his family and teenage son. He still holds a temporary protection permit and works as an electrical engineer.

“It’s too early to decide about returning,” Fahd told Asharq Al-Awsat. His son has been learning German for a year and is doing well in school in Berlin. “It would be hard to send him back to Syria, where he’d have to waste another year relearning Arabic.”

Even newcomers like Basel Hussein, who arrived in Berlin on the day Assad fell, have no plans to go back. Hussein, who paid over 13,000 euros to be smuggled into Germany, says he won’t return now.

“The situation is still unclear with new decisions every day,” Hussein said. “I’d rather start fresh in Germany than return to an uncertain future in Syria.”

It’s not only Syrians who are hesitant to return—many Germans worry about losing a key part of the workforce, especially those filling important roles.

Over 5,000 Syrian doctors work in German hospitals, making them the largest group of foreign doctors. Many others work in sectors with labor shortages, like nursing, construction, and hospitality.

It takes an average of seven years for Syrians to enter the labor market as they learn the language and validate their qualifications. Syrians are filling vital roles, but unemployment remains high, particularly for women.

Unions representing doctors and workers have warned against calls for quick deportations, fearing it could harm the labor market.

Manfred Lucha, health minister in Baden-Württemberg, where many Syrian doctors work, warned that if they leave, it would create a huge gap in the healthcare sector. The state’s hospital association also said losing Syrian healthcare workers would be a significant blow.