The theme of the regional “Make it Virtual!” competition we ran as part of the Taqaddam youth development partnership programme with HSBC and our UK delivery partner The Goodall Foundation was: “Using technology and innovation develop a product or service address challenges faced by their communities.”
What made this challenge so great and successful: it provided a progression journey for the 12 young Taqaddam competition winners to develop the skills and knowledge gained throughout the national programme, challenge and test their creative ideas, exposure to a wider more diverse audience, stretching their boundaries and expanding their horizons.
Twelve teams from Egypt, Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and UAE took their national competition ideas, developed these further and produced videos in response to the challenges.
Watch the videos here.
Taqaddam, which means ‘moving forward’ in Arabic, is an innovative programme that develops life skills for 15 to 16 year olds across the Middle East and North Africa. The programme brings out the very best in students, building their self-confidence and equipping them with lifelong professional skills and personal strengths to help them in the next stage of their lives.
Our objective
As partners, British Council, HSBC Bank Middle East and The Goodall Foundation, our UK delivery partner, aim to empower young people in a way that they become aware of their own potential to make positive changes to their lives and to their societies. A big part of this is through understanding more about themselves, willing to try new things, and taking the time to think about how new situations make them feel.
“The best thing about Taqaddam is that they talk with you about real life skills that you need in the present and will need in the future”, student, Egypt
Our strategy
Our vision for Taqaddam in the future is to maintain excellence and increase impact by continuing to improve the programme’s core offer and enhancing the sustainability of the programme. Our future plans include building local capacities to support soft skills learning in the classroom and expanding reach. Would you like to develop skills for learning, life and work? Try out Taqaddam Tasters.
Our impact
To date, the programme has reached more than 3,000 15–17 year-old students, over 200 teachers and 150 schools across the Middle East and North Africa.
During the 14 Taa'theer Mena Social Impact and CSR Forum held in the UAE, Taqaddam was awarded the Ta’atheer Best CSR Impact Award for 2017. The Award recognises outstanding programmes and initiatives demonstrating significant sustainable impact that is measurable and innovative.
"I think the community will benefit from us because we became effective members in society who will spread positive emotions”, Taqaddam student
