The Coca-Cola Foundation and INJAZ Al-Arab launch 8th Cycle of Ripples of Happiness Program

The Coca-Cola Foundation, in partnership with INJAZ Al-Arab, has launched the eighth edition of the ‘Ripples of Happiness’ (ROH) program, an educational initiative focused on regional university students with a primary emphasis on social responsibility, entrepreneurial skills, financial literacy, and workplace readiness.

Over 360 student teams in 22 universities from six countries across the Middle East, including UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine, have enrolled in ROH for a chance to have their projects financed with grants totaling USD 22,000 provided by the Coca-Cola Foundation. In Saudi Arabic, circa 50 students from the Kingdom are taking part in the program, including Dar Al Hekma University, Taibah University and Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University.

Throughout the course of ROH, participating teams will attend a number of training sessions aimed at developing their entrepreneurial and business management skills. The program also includes coaching sessions provided by volunteers from the private sector [and the Coca-Cola Middle East], on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship skills, in addition to sharing their experiences of working in the private sector.

Commenting on the subject, Akef Al-Aqrabawi, CEO of INJAZ Al-Arab, said: “Our partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation has enabled us over the past years, to prepare a business-savvy generation of entrepreneurs who are conscious of the social challenges that face their own communities. The Ripples of Happiness program has facilitated knowledge transfer to the next generation in a fun, yet challenging environment that teaches students to operate their own projects in the future, while still receiving education”. 

Omar Bennis, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the Coca-Cola Company Middle East, says, “At the Coca-Cola Company, we are committed to sustainability and developing the communities in which we operate. Our partnership with INJAZ Al-Arab has permitted us to reach a larger segment of university students across the region and to prepare the next generation of aspiring entrepreneurs, who are focused on solving the challenges that their communities face”.

The Ripples of Happiness program, which is set to conclude in early January 2016, will award the first place winner with a USD10,000 grant, and USD7,000 and USD5,000 for the second and third places respectively.

Previous editions of ROH saw a range of innovative ideas and projects positively impact their communities. Past winning participations included a device that can be installed on school bus doors to ensure that no school children are left behind in buses, and a project called Zoap, which uses upcycled cooking oil to produce soap.

Since its inception in 2012, the Ripples of Happiness program has reached over 2300 university students across six countries in the Middle East.