Jar Thuraya in Barcelona!
“It was when I first heard from Nadine that we were going to Spain that it all came back to me. It was back in 2018, when I was in YLP, that I spent most of my time brainstorming Jar Thuraya in Parks around Madrid and Barcelona. These cities have impacted my creativity and my choices, in their architecture, food, and culture.
I always admired how sustainability is integrated into everyone’s daily lives, and I wished for people in Lebanon to have the same lifestyle. Jar Thuraya was born to embrace different sustainable approaches, and day after day, it has grown to become a sustainable social enterprise that cares for women, heritage, and the environment!
When we first arrived at the GSMA-MWC, I felt proud that we were showcased at such a big event that hosted the biggest and most innovative brands from all around the world. I was overwhelmed by the amount of acknowledgement and support we received.
During the event, we got the opportunity to display Jar Thuraya’s products and pitch our business in front of a live audience, other participants of the Women Innovation Programme WIP, and international investors who showed high interest in our brand and contacted us for scale-up opportunities in different countries around the world.
We also led a panel session on Women in the Digital World along with colleagues from Iraq and Morocco and finally held a fruitful meeting followed by a tasting with Mr. Robert Opp who tried many of the products.
This event also allowed me the chance to meet one of my mentors in this programme, Mrs. Faten Aissi, who asked me to share my experience with a cohort of women entrepreneurs in Tunisia.
Our trip was crowned with visits to public and private Fab Labs, where they engage people in innovative and sustainable activities. It was inspiring to see how innovation is playing a role in different projects.
It was always thanks to UNDP and YLP specifically that we got the chance to shine and get international exposure. Their support since day one has led us to become a leading SME in Lebanon.”