On March 6, 2019, Education for Employment (EFE) recognized the Western Union Foundation with the Regional Partner Award for its extraordinary impact for unemployed youth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. At an event co-hosted with MBC, the largest private broadcaster in the Middle East, EFE celebrated the Western Union Foundation’s contributions to their mission. The Foundation supports EFE’s programs in Egypt to train unemployed youth and place them in jobs, and volunteer opportunities that help Emirati women entrepreneurs strengthen their business plans. Jean-Claude Farah, Western Union president of global payments attended the event to accept the award on the Foundation’s behalf.
“We are pleased to recognize the Western Union Foundation as a key regional partner for EFE. Since 2016, the Western Union Foundation has helped EFE bring the stability, hope and dignity of a job to thousands of unemployed youth across the Middle East and North Africa. They share our belief that when youth have the right skills, opportunities and mindset, they can create a brighter future for themselves, their families and their societies.”
The MENA region has made significant strides in youth education over the last few years. The region demonstrates that progress is made when education is a priority — including increased school enrollment and completion, decreased illiteracy rates, and achieving gender parity in primary education. To further fill these gaps between what is taught in schools and the skills needed for the future workforce the Western Union Foundation works with nonprofits like EFE to help address the issue. Today, over half of EFE’s graduates are female, and their efforts have connected over 90,000 youth to the world of work.
“Being a volunteer to mentor youth allows me to bring my knowledge to others. I build new perspectives for my own career as well. The feeling of fulfillment you get when helping others is worth it.”
Learn more about the Western Union Foundation’s work to help underserved populations around the world connect to the global economy through education at www.wu.com/foundation.
