Accelerating Peace Through Entrepreneurship

About the Iftiin Foundation

Accelerating peace through entrepreneurship.

Iftiin Foundation is an international non-governmental organization based in Somalia. Iftiin Foundation is empowering young people to become peacemakers and drivers of economic growth. We are building a class of independent, self-supporting and community-focused young men and women to serve as agents of social change for a peaceful and stable future.

Our vision

Our vision is of a world where youth are drivers of sustainable peace and stable economic growth.

Our mission

Our mission is to socially and economically empower youth through holistic entrepreneurial, technical and leadership skills development programs. We seek to develop and implement innovative approaches to youth empowerment to increase economic stability, social inclusion and progress towards peace in violence affected communities.

What we do

Entrepreneurship training and micro-enterprise support for youth

Vocational and technical training

Capacity building for national and local leaders to better serve youth

Community-based conflict resolution and peace building training

Sensitization and community mobilization to empower women and end gender-based violence

Psychosocial counseling of war-affected youth and communities

Addressing the reintegration of war-affected youth through community-led social inclusion, healing and reconciliation

Where we work

Iftiin Foundation is based in Mogadishu, Somalia and implements programming and projects across Somalia. Nearly three decades of conflict in Somalia has created a generation of young people traumatized by instability and violence – a serious challenge to our mission that demands attention.

Key facts about Somali young people:

70%

of Somalis are younger than 30

67%

of Somali youth are unemployed (14-29)

74%

of Somali women are unemployed

Our Journey

Iftiin Foundation was founded in 2012 by peace strategist and human rights advocate Mohamed Ali to promote youth entrepreneurship and leadership as a path to stabilization, peace and reconstruction.

In August 2013, Mohamed held the Mogadishu Youth Leadership Summit in Somalia, introducing youth leaders from across Mogadishu to the possibilities presented by entrepreneurship, training and leadership in a post-conflict world. In September 2013, Mohamed Ali delivered a TED talk at TED City 2.0, where he became one of the first thought leaders to link waithood with youth involvement in terrorism and conflict.

In 2016, the Iftiin Foundation leadership team expanded the mission of the organization to empower youth to work towards social change, end gender-based violence and promote human rights. A culture of economic development, community building and entrepreneurship among youth also combats “waithood,” the concept of passively waiting for a better future to arrive instead of working to make it happen.

Objectives

Iftiin Foundation focuses its efforts on six primary objectives:

Engage youth entrepreneurs and social innovators in long-term community economic development and peace building

Provide a platform that exposes youth to entrepreneurship and leadership training

Build youth leadership ability and confidence and enhance their competence

Engage local political and business leaders in youth development dialogue and training

Provide a unique opportunity for youth to share their views and concerns with leaders, policy makers, and the business community

Leverage networks, knowledge and experience in order to build a strong and enabling environment for youth entrepreneurship and social enterprise

TED TALK: THE LINK BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND TERRORISM.

READ ABOUT IFTIIN FOUNDATION’S INITIATIVES.

Technical & Vocational Training

Entrepreneurship

Peace & Reconciliation

Trauma &Psychosocial Healing

Empower Women and Girls

Empower Minorities

Supporting Government

IFTIIN FOUNDATION’S MISSION IS to Empower young people in Somalia and other conflict affected communities to become peacemakers and drivers of economic growth through entrepreneurship.

IFTIIN FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP

Mohamed Ali

Director

Mohamed Ali is a Somali-American who came to the US at age nine. In 2010 he was selected to visit Washington for the State Department Generation Change conference and speak to an audience that included then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about his desire to assist Somali youth in his war-torn home country.

Mr. Ali returned to Somalia in 2011 to organize a conference on youth leadership and youth innovation. Iftiin Foundation was formed to address the need for an ongoing effort to build youth leaders and work with young change makers, and today supports Somali youth at a grassroots level using multiple approaches.

Farhan Hallane

Country Director

Ahmed Hassan is the Mental Health Program Supervisor of Iftiin Foundation. He has provided counseling support to hundreds of Somali youth and trained counselors.

Ahmed has experience in implementing psychosocial programs that empower young people to become socially and economically integrated. He currently oversees the implementation of Iftiin Foundation’s mental health interventions.

IMPACT

The Iftiin Foundation approach is changing young lives and helping end violence in Somalia every day.

We are excited to report our approach and programs are resonating in war-torn communities across Somalia.

To date over 1,000 young Somali entrepreneurs have completed our business skills training “Mini-MBA” program – 436 are female entrepreneurs.
We have provided extensive post-training assistance to our graduates, facilitating the launch of small business and providing ongoing mentorship support and guidance as needed.
A preliminary 6-month assessment shows that 90 percent of our first class of trainees are operating viable businesses.
More than 100 community leaders have engaged with Iftiin Foundation to receive sensitization training and become agents of change in their communities in the struggle to end violence against women and girls.
Our professional and peer-supported counseling efforts have helped over 300 war-effected young people begin to recover from trauma and plan a future in Somalia.
More than 10 ministries have participated in our government capacity-building program and to date, we have provided technical skills training to more than 50 ministerial staff.

We are gratified by these results and proud of our young entrepreneurs. Their sense of hope is now rekindled and their potential being fulfilled.

There is much yet to do, and we encourage you to get involved and stay involved with Iftiin Foundation

Our Latest News & Updates

Watch: The entrepreneur’s surprising haven: Somalia (CNN – Amanpour.)

Jun 05 2015

On Monday, I joined Christiane Amanpour on CNN during her evening news show to discuss the growing migrant crisis. I outlined a number of…

A Somalian Solution to the Perilous Exodus (Intl. NY Times)

May 11 2015

A version of this op-ed appeared in print on May 12, 2015, in The International New York Times and online May 11,…

How to undermine Al-Shabaab

Oct 08 2013

Originally featured on CNN’s Global Public Square blog with Fareed Zakaria | Oct. 18, 2013 By Mohamed Ali, Special to CNN Editor’s note: Mohamed…

Accelerating Peace through Youth Entrepreneurship

Jul 25 2013

Originally featured on BusinessFightsPoverty.org | July 25, 2013 By Mohamed Ali, Founder, Iftiin Foundation and New Voices Fellow, The Aspen Institute I recently participated…

Iftiin Supporters

GET INVOLVED WITH IFTIIN.

partner

Partner with us to train, incubate and build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. It is our global partnerships that have expanded the horizons of our youth. Be a part of our movement!

Invest

Our entrepreneurs have innovative ideas, create groundbreaking start-ups, and address issues of poverty. Make their ideas a reality and help grow and scale their enterprises.

Sponsor

You can help support Somali youth build a post-conflict future by developing their personal skills and aptitudes. By becoming part of the movement helping the young Somalis escape violence and move toward personal development, meaningful employment and a more stable future, you will have a direct, lasting impact on the dramatic reconstruction of Somali society, one of the world’s most challenging missions.

Contact Us

contact@iftiinfoundation.com

Send an Email

Interested in our work? Send a message to the Iftiin Foundation.