The challenge

Esnad organization currently receives over 500 applications for financial aid per semester. Esnad’s current capacity can only provide scholarships for 20 of those 500 students. Fundraising for these scholarships comes from local individual supporters and the private sector. 

Esnad wants to amplify its ability to provide scholarships to enable a larger number of Palestinians from gaining access to higher education through creating Menha.org.

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What is Menha.org?

Menha in Arabic means scholarship, and that’s what the platform aims to offer. Menha.org is an interactive platform on which in-need student profiles are created, and where supporters can go to donate. This way, Menha links Palestinian university students in need with the Palestinian Diaspora, businessmen, and the private sector.  Through the platform, supporters can access a safe and trusted channel to help their community, and students are granted financial aid to complete their university education. Menha.org is created as part of Esnad organization's mission to fight poverty in education.  

Menha is an innovative solution to the lack of access to education.

Where are we today?

Esnad currently offers scholarships that range between $500 - $1000, depending on the major and cost of credit hours. In the last eight years, we were able to provide 400 Bachelors (BA) university students with scholarships. 

What’s our plan?

The platform will ensure and verify every student and supporter on the platform. We verify students through documentation and making sure they didn’t receive a scholarship from another source, to avoid duplication of scholarships. Sometimes, for further validation, we pay field visits. Additionally, we take multiple steps to ensure the credibility of supporters. For one, we are approaching the ministry of external affairs ask them to recommend and vet supporters. 

- We also use recommendations where each trusted supporter recommends another five trusted supporters. 

- We’re hoping to build an ambassadors network where an ambassador’s responsibility is to mobilize and vet supporters. 

We aspire that Menha.org becomes the official gate for providing scholarships in Palestine where students, scholarship organizations and supporters can benefit.

What is Esnad? 

ESNAD seeks to fight poverty through education (student to student approach) and seeks to support youth empowerment through different programs that encourage youth participation in the community. Every student who receives an ESNAD scholarship later volunteers to tutor 4-5 university or school students. 

Our Team

Jihad Shojaheya: 38 Years, Gender: Male, the founder, and CEO of ESNAD, aged 38 years. Also, He is a freelance trainer, holds over 12 years’ experience in training, management,  leadership, decision making, communication, team building, citizenship, belonging, entrepreneurship, and voluntary work.

Samia Bazzar: Age: 22 years old, Gender: Female,  Role: Responsible for follow-up and communicates with Hessa service providers, Experience: youth activists at Sharek Youth Forum, one year,

Dania Majed: Age: 24 years old, Gender: Female, Role: Social Media Officer, Experience: 3 experience in social media, graphic design, press release editing and drafting at ESNAD. 2 years as a researcher at PCBS.

Abrar Saad:

27 Years Old, Gender: Female, Role: Program & Financial Officer, Experience: Five years Experience in Program Financial and administrative management at ESNAD.

How can supporters help?

Now, the platform is 85% ready, we are almost done with the technical development, the platform still needs some features, content, and marketing. And we need $5,000 to finish the needed technical development and make sure the platform is ready to launch at the end of this summer. Any extra funds we get over the $5,000 will go to support students on the platform.

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This campaign is supported by BuildPalestine, a platform to connect supporters around the world with innovative, social impact projects in Palestine.