Ramallah – Alayyam - INJAZ Palestine in cooperation with the National Beverage Company Coca-Cola/Cappy (NBC) launched the Seventh Phase of Ripples of Happiness Program, which is funded by Coca-Cola foundation.
The Program aims to train university students to carry out community-based pilot projects that will contribute to the positive impact on their local communities.
Concurrently with the program implementation in 26 Arab universities, the Seventh Phase of the Program is implemented in four Palestinian universities, namely: the Arab American University (Haseeb Al-Sabbagh Center), Hebron University, Palestine Technical University-Khadoorie, and An-Najah National University (An-Najah University Fans Center), seeking to train 30 student teams. It should be noted that 750 students of both genders were trained in Palestine since 2011.
The Program is being implemented in a number of Arab countries including Palestine, Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and the United Arab of Emirates, targeting 43 universities around the Arab World.
The program includes several stages, whereby the volunteers from the private sector provide the participating students with knowledge. Through a variety of experimental activities, the program works to help students gain a better understanding regarding the application of what they have been learning in school through successful interaction and participation in their communities.
The Program objectives focus on enhancing the students' sense of responsibility towards their communities and providing them with entrepreneurship skills, financial culture and readiness for work by providing the students with the opportunity to explore their individual and professional interests as well as the available job opportunities and introducing them to key principles for employment readiness.
Randa Salama, the General Manager of INJAZ Palestine, emphasized the significance of the Program due to its positive impact in refining the personalities of the Youth, providing them with leadership skills and entrepreneurship, training them on setting up and implementing enterprises that have positive impact on their communities. She commended the permanent partnership with Coca-Cola and its continuous support to effective societal development programs, noting the impact of such support in creating and building a community that is aware of the importance of volunteering and community service. She praised the role of NBC and its endeavor to provide the required support necessary for the program implementation in Palestine.
On his part, the General Manager of the National Beverage Company Coca-Cola/Cappy (NBC), Mr. Imad al-Hindi, stressed NBC’s determination to continue its support to such pioneering youth projects due to the urgent need to create programs that provide the students with entrepreneurship skills which would develop their capability to positively influence their local communities.
Mr. al-Hindi added: "We are eager to see what the students will offer in this phase, as our young male and female students have always proved through their pioneering and innovative projects that they are the heart of the society by contributing to its building and development with their thought and innovations.”
He commended the permanent partnership with INJAZ confirming NBC’s intention to maintain this partnership in order to instill the spirit of preparedness and initiative in the students in the manner that enable them leave a positive impact on their local communities, create a better future. This vision perfectly harmonizes with the vision of Coca-Cola Interantional.
