The Ajami Foundation is a non-profit organisation that is committed to empowering communities through advancing education and entrepreneurship.
Our mission is to build healthy and thriving communities in the Arab World. Applying new knowledge and innovation is our go-to model for problem solving.
To bring about valuable change and drive impact, areas of activity include –
Livelihood – providing immediate crisis response to communities in countries that are facing societal, economic, and governmental collapse.
Entrepreneurship – empowering small businesses by providing training in digital strategies, access to digital tools and access to broader strategic corporate networks.
Our Story
We are Ibrahim and Annelie Ajami. At the time of the explosion, 4 August 2020, we had only been married for 2 weeks. A certain amalgamation of events led to us not being present in our, port-facing, hotel room when disaster struck. A stroke of luck and God’s hand.
Initiatives
Livelihood Program
The initial phase of the program focused on immediate crisis response following the August 4 Beirut port explosion in Lebanon. Our goal was to provide aid and relief to those affected in the worst hit areas around the port.
These activities included -
Rehoming – rehoming families/individuals unable to return home
Livelihood support – distributing food and medical supplies to provide basic necessities to persons in need
Reconstruction – reconstructing destroyed homes to enable families/individuals to return safe homes
Following the completion of most reconstruction projects in Beirut, the second phase is exclusively aimed at providing communities in need with basic necessities. This includes food, medication, baby supplies and women’s hygiene products. We are particularly focused on areas that have been traditionally underserved by local and international organisations.
The current situation in Lebanon has, since the explosion, only further spiralled downwards. The country faces a vast array of problems amongst which governmental deadlock, collapse of the banking system, a persistent “brain drain” and an increasing devaluation of local currency. More than half of the Lebanese people are below the poverty line.
SMB Accelerator
Our aspiration is to harness technology and entrepreneurship to drive sustainable, inclusive and resilient socio-economic development. We do this through our Accelerator initiative aimed at SMB entrepreneurs. We want to digitally empower SMBs to take on broader markets, grow at scale and become more efficient. We believe that from the ground up we can drive real economic impact.
The SMB Accelerator is a three-month program launched in partnership with Anamcara Capital, a technology investment fund, that encompasses workshops, seminars, 1-on-1 coaching, and talks from industry leaders. The program is a mix of educational content and access to Anamcara’s portfolio companies and strategic partners.
Our goal is to give SMBs access to digital tools and a global network of technology partners.
First program is launching 2022.
Contact us for more information
Past events -
Impact
80 homes assessed
20 homes reconstructed
3 families rehomed
10 businesses reconstructed
3 businesses onboarded onto the Ajami SME Program
400 families supported
8 different areas covered in Beirut
3 trusted NGO partnerships
How to contribute
Donations
The foundation is now accepting donations from friends and family
We accept as little as $10. Any amount will make an impact!
Partnerships
We aim to partner with, and work alongside, other reputable and trustworth organizations that are focused on rebuilding Beirut.
These partnerships will help us coordinate our efforts and create joint missions to ensure maximum impact
Our partners will help us identify persons in need
Service providers
We are looking for all services providers – homebuilding, contractors, teachers, small business service providers that can help families and individuals with rebuilding their lives
Volunteers
Volunteers who can help us on the ground in Beirut to coordinate our mission i.e. by identifying persons in need, identifying immediate needs, executing on our mission, and reporting on our progress and impact
Volunteers who can help drive our local and global fundraising efforts
Volunteers who can assist us with content creation, website management and social media strategy
