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“Meem Basis’s imaginative and prescient is a world the place all girls and women can obtain their ambitions.” With simply this one line, Muna Al Gurg encapsulates the essence of her latest endeavor, and given all the accomplishments that this Emirati businesswoman and philanthropist has had in her profession thus far, one can not assist however be excited in regards to the impression that Meem Basis -an entity looking for to create sustainable social change within the lives of ladies and women within the MENA region- can probably have.
Nevertheless, for these of you who may not be as acquainted with Al Gurg and her exploits, an introduction is so as. Al Gurg is probably finest recognized for being the Vice Chairperson and Director of Retail on the UAE-born conglomerate, Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, however her pursuits (and attain) go far past her household enterprise. Within the realm of entrepreneurship, as an example, she has actively aided the expansion of the area’s startup ecosystem for a few years now, be it as an investor (she was famously the one particular person Emirati shareholder within the Dubai-born Careem earlier than its acquisition in 2019), or an enabler (she is the Chairwoman of Younger Arab Leaders, a regional group that promotes training, entrepreneurship, and youth growth).
Al Gurg has additionally been a passionate proponent of ladies within the Arab world for a few years now- one in all her legacies is the Muna Al Gurg Scholarship that she rolled out in 2015 on the London Enterprise College within the UK, which has since offered over AED1.5 million in monetary help, enabling aspiring girls from the Center East to pursue their academic targets, and speed up their careers. Meem Basis is thus yet one more initiative that Al Gurg is pursuing to make a significant impression within the lives of ladies on this area.
Supply: Meem Basis
“Our mission is to bridge the gender hole within the Center East and North Africa by creating extra financial alternative and larger entry to healthcare for ladies and women,” Al Gurg says. “What’s distinctive is our use of data-driven determination making, and an emphasis on measuring and sharing outcomes. Quite than conventional charity, we’re targeted on strategic philanthropy that emphasizes accountability and sustainability. Our strategy is to search out progressive entrepreneurial options to gender inequality, and be clear about what works and what does not.”
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Meem Basis’s strategy to create financial alternatives for ladies, versus simply financial help, is in keeping with the necessity of the hour. A 2021 report by UNICEF had famous that ladies within the Center East and Africa face gender hole points at present on account of world and regional shifts resembling “political and financial upheaval, battle, occupation, and the COVID-19 pandemic.”
It is towards this backdrop that Meem Basis thus goals to create pathways for ladies and women to realize financial empowerment, whereas additionally guaranteeing they obtain secure healthcare companies and well being consciousness. And with Al Gurg at its helm, the enterprise appears to be set for fulfillment, given how she, because of her household and upbringing, has all the time been eager on giving again to society. “From an early age, I have been uncovered to conversations about, and acts of, philanthropy, as my dad and mom supported many charitable causes, starting from healthcare and training, to the mixing of refugees,” Al Gurg says. “I’ve spent plenty of time excited about my very own values, my lived experiences, and the longer-term impression I hope to have on the earth. This has knowledgeable the creation of my basis. The inspiration is targeted on creating extra alternatives for ladies and women – creating extra company, voice, and selection. We have had an overwhelmingly constructive response and help on the launch of the inspiration, and we’re trying ahead to creating sustainable social change within the lives of all girls and women within the MENA area.”
Eureka! Muna Al Gurg on the way to make an thought an ideal one
Progress by means of iteration “I believe it is necessary to spend time understanding what issues exist and why. After which provide you with concepts to handle them. Analysis what’s failed and what does not work in your context, market, group or particular setting. Then develop an thought, check it, and repeat.”
Create time for ideation, and funding for experimentation “I imagine in fostering dialogue and dialogue in any enterprise and creating an inside think-tank the place staff meet quarterly and focus on matters unrelated to the corporate which might end result within the subsequent massive thought! Moreover making a small R&D finances that gives funding to progressive options will drive a collaborative tradition inside the group.”
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