BAHRAIN
ZAIN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
Zain Bahrain’s Community Engagement Program aims to instill a culture of volunteering into the company by providing employees opportunities to give back to the community. Established in 2018, the program aims to contribute to various areas such as health, the environment, gender equality, youth mentorship programs and capacity building. Through a well-rounded engagement approach, Zain Bahrain was able to establish several partnerships with organizations that included National Bank of Bahrain Elderly Home, Salmaniya Hospital, The Cancer Ward, Bahrain Society for Training and Development, Women Tech Makers, and Bahrain Philanthropic Society. During the year, Zain Bahrain was able to provide 69 volunteering opportunities with more than 80 employees participating in the various programs.
GOOGLE DEVELOPER GROUP WOMEN TECH MAKERS
In partnership with Google Developers Group (GDG) Manama, Bahrain, Zain entered a memorandum of understanding that aims to further Zain’s leadership position in empowering women in the technology space. Through this partnership, Zain Bahrain will provide access to its facilities to host events and workshops, provide knowledge exchanging opportunities with Zain employees, and encourage and promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the field of technology. In 2018, 25 women participated in the GDG Women Tech Makers events and workshops.
IRAQ
JAMEATY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
In 2018, Zain Iraq launched the Jameaty initiative, which aims to fulfill the needs of the scientific and administrative departments in public and private universities. Through the initiative Zain Iraq distributed 1680 printers, more than 500 ZainFi devices, and 4800 e-Go devices. Additionally, e-Go modems were provided to high-achieving students in each university as a form of recognition for their hard work and accomplishments. Through this initiative Zain Iraq was able to fulfil social opportunities and improve the quality of education for students attending universities in Iraq.
KNOWLEDGE SPACE
Knowledge Space is a newly formed coding
and technology developer space, which is a
collaborative work space created to support
the making, learning, exploring and sharing
of knowledge in the fields of science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM). This space is considered the
first supporting facility for the ICT community in Kirkuk.
Through this facility, training programs are being offered in
topics such as 3D printing and data science.
KUWAIT
ZAIN KUWAIT AND CODED
In order to address the skills gap
occurring across the region, Zain Kuwait,
in partnership with Coded, created a
training program for young people, which
teaches coding and technology using robots, arts and
science, by utilizing the latest tools and technologies. The
four-week program covered introductory topics to coding
and robotics such as block coding, text coding, python,
coding logic, sensors, building a computer, and robotic
controls. Some of the tools used included KANO
Computer Kit, Sony KOOV Kit, Lego Boost, Lego
Mindstorm, Cubetto, and Bottley. 39 students were
trained through the Coded Junior Summer Camp.
ZAIN KUWAIT PARTNERSHIP WITH LOYAC
Zain and LOYAC’s strategic partnership is centered on the development of the Education and Youth sectors in Kuwait. Through this partnership, Zain engages with various public, private, and non-profit organizations that cater to youth’s talents and skills, ultimately contributing to the further progression of the national economy. Through the partnership Zain has been able to support KON, a social entrepreneurship program, offered in Kuwait in collaboration with Babson College in Boston. Another program established through this partnership is the IFAD Internship Program, where talented young Kuwaiti are sent abroad to learn from international experts. Lastly, LOYAC AC Milan Soccer School is a program that has become one of the leading soccer schools in the region over the course of its nine years of existence. Since inception, Zain’s partnership with LOYAC has been able to impact more than 52,000 students positively.
This year, the partnership was involved in the following programs:
Kon Social Entrepreneurship Program: 54 entrepreneurs
Cultural Awareness Committee: 24 volunteers
Media Awareness Committee: 27 volunteers
Environmental Awareness Committee: 13 volunteers
AC Milan Soccer School: 300+ registrations
SAUDI ARABIA
MITEF PAN ARAB STARTUP COMPETITION
Zain’s annual partnership with MITEF Pan Arab Startup Competition aims to create opportunities for growth and development in the MENA region based on innovation and value creation. The competition, saw a local version hosted in Saudi Arabia, is divided into three main categories: Ideas, Startups, and Social Entrepreneurship. Each of these tracks has three winners who were awarded cash prizes and other benefits including training, mentorship, media exposure and networking opportunities. Various stakeholders supported the competition along with Zain KSA and included the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises; Kind Abdullah Economic City; King Khaled Foundation; Saudi Aramco Entrepreneurship Center Wa’ed; Saudi Investment Bank; Microsoft; Oracle, and others.
COOPERATIVE TRAINING
Zain Saudi Arabia is committed to
upskilling, training and recruiting
nationals, and as a result the company
has collaborated with Saudi University
to provide co-operative training opportunities for
undergraduate students. Upon completion of the
program, Zain Saudi Arabia was able to hand pick top
performers to become full-time employees, providing
them meaningful employment. This year, the company
hired 30% of those who completed the training program.
JORDAN
MOBILE CLINIC FOR CHILDREND
Ongoing since 2002, Zain Jordan’s
Mobile Clinic provides health services
for hundreds of children in remote areas
across the Kingdom. The clinic offers free
medical consultation, dental treatment and medication
dispensed by a fully equipped and qualified medical
team. To ensure children receive quality treatment, the
clinic facilitates patient transfers to different health
centers and hospitals under the Ministry of Health
network of affiliates. Serving children up to the age of
15 years, the clinic treated 200,000 children in 2018.
KNOWLEDGE STATIONS
In 2018, Zain Jordan provided connectivity to six knowledge stations across the Kingdom. This initiative was undertaken in collaboration with the National Information Technology Center in several governorates including Amman, Karak, Ma'an, Na'our, Jordan Valley and Irbid. Through the Knowledge Station, approximately 8,620 people are estimated to have benefitted from the services. Objectives identified for the Knowledge Stations include:
Bridging the digital divide in Jordan across its governorates
Enhancing the use of ICT in the Kingdom to improve socio-economic development
Improving IT literacy and skills by providing training and education in ICT
LEBANON
TOUCH INNOVATION PROGRAM (TIP)
The touch Innovation Program’s objective is
to create an initiative that supports startups,
while nurturing a pool of high-potential
entrepreneurs to be able to invest in. The selected “touch
innovators” are offered benefits set to develop of their ideas
and businesses further. TIP identifies and selects 8-12
startups every year with six companies being selected to
participate in the initiative every six months. Those selected
entities are given access to touch Lab, touch’s flexible work
space that accommodates meetings, product launches,
workshops, and training courses.
TOUCH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FE-MALE
touch, in partnership with Fe-male,
established a nine-month training
program targeting young girls and
women in Bekaa and Akkar. This training program offered
women part-time courses on ICT-related skills such as
computer literacy, the use of smartphones, and social
media tools. The participants were educated on
cybercrimes, cybersecurity, and how to overcome online
attacks. The program also extended to awareness raising
sessions on women’s rights, business planning,
entrepreneurship, leadership, public-speaking, decisionmaking, and self-assertion. Women living in rural areas
often suffer from a lack of access to education and
knowledge on their rights. The skills and knowledge
gained from this program will allow the participants to
play a more active role in their communities, contributing
to society and positively impact future generations. 60
women have completed the training.
SUDAN
STUDENT MEAL PROJECT
In collaboration with Mujdidoon
Organization, Zain Sudan provided
annual Iftar meals to ensure temporary
food security for those who are less
fortunate. Since its launch in 2011, 3,000 meals per day
every year have been handed out to students in
Khartoum. Every year, approximately 528,000 meals are
given out to students in need, adding up to in excess of
4.22 million meals having been distributed during the
life-time of the initiative.
ZAINX
Established in 2017, ZainX is an annual
event in which people with disabilities are
given a platform to share their stories and
experiences that shed light on the
challenges they face. This year, more than 70 candidates from
across Sudan applied to represent the disabled community in
the event and eight representatives were selected. Two blind
people participated, as did two deaf and mute people, two
physically disabled participants, and two with developmental
disorders such as autism. The TEDx inspired event attracted
700 attendees including three ministers and heads of
universities and NGOs.
SOUTH SUDAN
ZAIN YOUTH (ZY) INITIATIVES
Under the Zain Youth (ZY) Platform
established in 2018, Zain South Sudan
launched a variety of initiatives that aim
to develop the youth through capacity
building projects, programs in schools,
and spreading awareness on inclusivity.
This platform targets the youth segment
from ages 18-30 years old. As such,
stringent KPIs were put into place to
measure the impact of the programs and ensure the
targets are being met. Under ZY, Zain South Sudan
launched an entrepreneurial business training program
that targets some of the most vulnerable populations
such as single mothers, girls who have dropped out of
school, and widows with HIV/AIDS. Moreover, on
International Hand Wash Day the company organized an
event to raise awareness on the importance of
handwashing with soap as it is an effective and affordable
tool that significantly minimizes diseases and illnesses. 15
schools participated in the event and 6,150 school
children attended.
