According to the World Bank, Gaza has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, with general unemployment standing at 52% and youth unemployment (age 29 and under) standing at an appalling 66%. Occupation, siege, and conflict have wrought destruction on Gaza’s economy, leading to widespread economic stagnation and dependence on aid.
In response to these dire conditions, UPA launched the Small Business Development Program to provide unemployed, underemployed, or self-employed Palestinians with business training, much needed resources, and the confidence they need to start or expand their own business. Our program is unique in that we tailor the trainings and capital inputs we provide to each beneficiary’s business and level of expertise.
Small business ownership has the power to preserve dignity and increase economic independence amidst uncertainty and conflict. Leading economic authorities cite small- and medium-sized enterprises as “the world’s most concentrated, booming and innovative engine for world trade and economic growth.”
By procuring vital resources, such as equipment and renovations, and providing beneficiaries with business training, UPA is promoting economic growth and addressing one of the most significant challenges Palestinians in Gaza face: the lack of sufficient resources to jumpstart their venture. The Palestinians who benefit from this program are thereby able to achieve economic independence for themselves and their families, and decrease reliance on charitable handouts.
On a larger scale, the Small Business Development Program is implementing sustainable upgrades to vital economic sectors in Palestine. UPA’s new project, Illuminating Gaza: One Harbor at a Time, harnesses the power of the sun to bring solar-powered light to Gaza’s harbors. Many fishermen work at night, and the lack of sufficient lighting is both costly and hazardous, as it leads to collisions, injuries, deaths, and ultimately the shrinkage of Gaza’s fishing sector. UPA illuminated Gaza’s Khan Younis Harbor with solar energy, thereby providing hundreds of fishermen with a reliable source of lighting that increases the profitability, safety, and efficiency of each individual fisherman and the fishing sector as a whole.