The Director of the programs of the Spark Foundation of Holland Simon Milk visited the headquarters of the Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection for Workers in Gaza’s city, and he met the Fund’s management represented by the Executive Director Ibtisam Al-Husari and the Vice of of the Executive Director Eng. Mohammad Abu Zaiter, the Manager of the General Relations and Fundraising Eng. Mahdi Hamdan, Noor Habib the Manager of Projects in Gaza and Fedaa Sharab the Manager of the Youth Employment for Development Project.

Al-Husari started the meeting with a speech of her from the headquarters in Ramallah’s city, through video conferencing technology, in which she welcomed the guest and his accompanying delegation from the Islamic University. The meeting included Dr. Saeed Al Ghura, Dean of Community Service and Continuing Education at the Islamic University and the Eng. Basel Qandil the Manager of the Business Incubator Department in the Islamic University.

As Al-Husari introduced the Fund, stressing its role as a national umbrella for employment in Palestine based on the decisions of the Council of Ministers and the Presidential Decree.

Al-Husari reviewed the exclusive work of the Fund and its strategic plan, which is based on the establishment of small development projects to reduce the problem of unemployment and poverty. 

Al Husri expressed its readiness to cooperate with Spark Foundation and all institutions that are interested in implementing development and employment projects in line with the national strategic vision, to which the Fund is committed.

As Al-Husari emphasized the commitment and openness of the Fund to work with all those who wish to alleviate unemployment and poverty, stressing the deep partnership with the business incubator at the Islamic University as a leading model in the field of business development and support the pilot projects.

For Hamdan’s side, he reviewed in his speech from Ramallah part of the work of the Fund and the projects carried out in cooperation with international institutions, especially the Italian project. He also discussed the Fund's vision and strategy, and its interest in pilot projects and business incubators, in addition to strengthening of relations with the private sector.

While Abu Zaiter presented the high unemployment rates in Palestine, especially in Gaza Strip, and the need to implement income-generating, employment and training projects, pointing out that the Fund is leading the employment and job opportunities because it is the national umbrella.

He also spoke about the importance of the Fund's Employment Board in the Strip, which is committed to uniting efforts in the areas of vocational training.

Abu Zuaiter reviewed the project of "Youth Employment for Development" implemented by the Fund in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), funded by the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, and its role in alleviating unemployment.

For his part, Simon presented the partnership with the Fund and its willingness to cooperate, and provide a qualitative addition in the field of employment and support of creative and entrepreneurial projects as well as enhancing the employment.

Simon also reviewed the work of his organization in Palestine and a number of other countries in Africa and the Middle East.