Mais Irqsusi

Yemen Observer (Y.O): What do you think Safar gives youth?
Mais Irqsusi (M.I): Safar gives youth a key for them to find what they already have. Young adults love the program because at the end of the journey, it makes them discover enrichment that was always within them, and inspiration that is not foreign to their passion and initiatives. So, by trusting youth, and trusting that they are capable of weaving their own journeys and finding out what they are most interested in learning from real context. By that, we give them a key…to go into a process of weaving the journey within them and to the world…

The program supports Arab youth in their travel in the Arab world providing them with the air tickets and other travel expenses. The aim of Safar is to help youth pursue a healthy process of growth that permits them to develop their own experience and knowledge and hence their communities’. It also provides the space and opportunities to pursue their own learning paths.

Y.O: So who’s the target and how many youth have been supported by Safar until now?
M.I: Over the past 4 years Safar Fund has received over 800 applications, and has given travel grants to over 300 social entrepreneurs from 18 Arab countries to travel in pursuit of a learning opportunity in another Arab country. During our regional meetings, over 100 young Arab social entrepreneurs debated the meaning of social initiative, responsibility, the role that they play within their communities, and methods with which we can support each other across the Arab world. Safar has also developed a resource on youth initiatives based on young people’s writings and contributions.

Allot has been heard on a new TRANSITION for Safar… which has also been clear through the visual language and brand, can you tell us more about it?

As the only Arab mobility fund for youth, Safar is engaged within each Arab country through a network of volunteers and partner organizations

The transition is a natural evolvement of the program after its four years. The new transition is a process known as crowd-sourcing, which we believe was all the time implicitly part of Safar’s vision since it’s a youth lead, youth initiated program. Safar started a participatory community-based campaign aimed at spreading the culture of travel, reducing the cost of travel for youth and developing local frameworks to support Safar on the long-term, and help fund raise for the project locally. Safar campaign will incorporate various groups into the project and will rely on volunteers who share the project’s vision and mission from across the Arab world

Safar Alumni of young Arab social entrepreneurs who own the project will be the core mobilizers of this campaign. The campaign will engage individuals and institutions of different ages, sizes and affiliations in the sustainability of the program. Individuals and institutions can contribute through direct financial contributions, involvement in the events, and helping spread the word.

The campaign will be launched under the slogan “One step from you for the Journey of a lifetime”, and is expected to use the media, cultural events, and community activities to encourage individuals and organizations to contribute themselves in their respective countries towards the continuity of Safar fund.

Y.O: What are the components of the campaign?
M.I: The campaign includes various components and tools that will be made available to the public to ensure their involvement. Some of these components are:
• Buyoot (houses of) Safar: a database of low-cost, youth friendly accommodation options that will help reduce the cost of travel for young people in the Arab world and beyond (e.g. residency places, houses of families..etc).
• “Travel guide”: A detailed online guide containing all the basic information that would facilitate youth mobility and reduce the cost of travel for young people between the various Arab countries. All members can contribute to the development and use of the guide.
• “Spread the word” through the media and the various communication tools, each in their respective countries will try to promote Safar campaign and information about the project.
• “A day for Safar”: anyone from the community can donate one day’s work for the benefit of Safar.
• “We are with Safar,” this component will target the private sector and NGOs to support Safar either through in- kind contributions (e.g. airlines will be invited to add one dollar to each ticket for the benefit of Safar) or financial contributions.

With this campaign, Safar will no longer be the “travel-grants disburser” for youth, but a channel for travel grants from and for youth. Safar may not be giving as many grants but will have a key role to play in providing information on cultural travel and ways to reduce travel costs, as well as facilitate access to information related to learning while traveling. It will also provide a unique participatory model initiated from Safar’s core value of youth ownership.

Y.O: So what’s the dream of Safar?
M.I: Safar’s dream is a very simple one, one that we try to pursue though the campaign, which is to get an Arab funding for an Arab initiative!

We seek the engagement and support of Arabs to further enable and empower young Arab social entrepreneurs to cross boundaries and open up their perspectives to the larger world out there, develop connections and contacts, learn new things, better understand their world, and work locally to enhance their communities with a global perspective.

Safar is seeking Arab Funding from individuals, private sector, and NGO’s. by each contributing in their own creative way!

Y.O: How can people interested engage?
M.I: The campaign aims to engage individuals of different ages and affiliations in the sustainability of the program, in various creative ways . Whether it’s spreading the word on Safar, hosting Safar grantees, donating one day of your income, or sponsoring the whole program in your country. Everyone has a role to take in this campaign.

To be part of our Safar’s Campaign, no matter how small, big, or crazy your contribution may be, we have a space to make it part of our sustainability. Everyone can be involved in their own creative way, join safar www.safarfund.org/join and contact Safar team at info@safarfund.org to be able to know how you can help sustain the program and contribute to its various components.