Programs

Jewish-Arab Joint Loan Program
In 2007, Shurush partnered with the Israeli organization KIEDF (Koret Israel Economic Development Funds) to launch an innovative new program providing microloans and business training to a joint group of Arab and Jewish entrepreneurs. The pilot group comprises 25-30 low-income Arab and Jewish women, from the same city or neighborhood, who are interested in opening a home-based micro business or a joint business venture. Participants receive intensive business development training in group and individual meetings for between three and four months. Participants identify and develop a business idea, address personal fears and constraints, learn basic business management skills, and develop a business work plan (which is the basis of the business plan required if applying for a loan). After the completion of the program, eligible entrepreneurs will receive small loans. Additionally, participants continue to receive group and individual professional business consultant mentoring for an additional 8-9 months.

Kiva partnership

                                                    
In February 2006, The Shurush Initiative announced our partnership with Kiva, a nonprofit organization that lets individuals like you connect with and loan to unique small businesses in the developing world. What makes Kiva unique is its concept of the charitable loan. Kiva is the first and only existing option for you to make a loan to a unique microenterprise. No other organization offers the opportunity to loan -- instead of, or in addition to, making a donation -- to a real person and then get your money back. Furthermore, when you loan to a Kiva business, every dollar you loan goes to that business. Kiva is a very low-overhead organization that raises money offline to support its small budget. None of the money you loan goes to fund administrative costs. Through Shurush's inaugural microloan program partner, the East Jerusalem YMCA, six EJ-YMCA/Shurush entrepreneurs are featured on the Kiva site. We invite you to visit Kiva.org and to explore the benefits that Kiva's charitable loan interface will bring to Shurush and, through our partner organizations, to Palestinian entrepreneurs. Through this exclusive partnership, Shurush is helping Palestinian entrepreneurs to achieve their goals -- and Kiva is helping us to achieve ours.                                     

Microloan partnership with the East Jerusalem YMCA

Shurush's inaugural microloan program is a partnership with the East Jerusalem YMCA to support small, rural enterprise development and create job opportunities in the West Bank small business sector. The pilot Rural Entrepreneurship Loan Program's clients are entrepreneurs under the age of 35 in rural areas surrounding Bethlehem and Ramallah. To date, eight entrepreneurs have received loans: a veterinarian, a restaurateur, two metalworkers, an automobile technician, a sheep breeder, an olive wood carver, and an embroiderer. An additional three entrepreneurs in Gaza -- a phone repair technician, a carpenter, and a construction supplies store owner -- have received loans through our partnership with Kiva.
[Click here to read more.]

Microfinance Research and Information Program
Research and information resources on the Web can be scattered and disorganized. So when it comes to microfinance in the Middle East, Shurush hopes to be a source for the most relevant and current data from around the Web. Therefore, in April 2004, we launched the Microfinance Research and Information Program on our website at http://shurush.org/research/research.html. Shurush filters, organizes, and compiles the latest research and articles relevant to microfinance and economic development in the Middle East, as well as general information on microfinance.