The NGO will use the funds to launch a training program for 1,000 Israeli and Palestinean beneficiaries.
During President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel and the West Bank, the US leader announced a $5 million grant for Israel NGO Appleseeds on behalf of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Biden Administration’s grant was given under the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA) initiative, the aim of which is to bridge and connect Israeli and Palestinian societies while strengthening shared-life and fostering mutual understanding through technology and shared economic ties.
Appleseeds, established in 2000, helps people from Israel’s geographic and social periphery gain access to digital skills and tech job opportunities. The organization operates a wide range of activities in cooperation with government ministries and the business sector, including advanced tech training; an assortment of digital literacy training workshops for Israel’s most marginalized residents, including the elderly and new immigrants; and the operation of its own Technology Youth Movement, Net@.
Yoram Yaakovi, chairman of Appleseeds, initiated and established a large-scale project in Nazareth that contributed to the construction of the tech-ecosystem in Arab society. “Cooperation through business activities is both a tool for economic growth and a more accessible society for all,” he said.
USAID’s partnership with Appleseeds indicates the NGO’s recognition as a leader in advancing technological equality within Israel. Appleseeds was selected for the grant in order to launch a training initiative targeting 1,000 youth and young adults.
Participants will include 500 students from Net@ and 500 participants of employment-based Bootcamp courses for Israelis and Palestinians to promote understanding, strengthen mutual trust and cooperation. USAID and Appleseeds’ hope is that these 1,000 participants will serve as examples and become mentors and leaders for future participants.
“This is a great and meaningful opportunity for Appleseeds, whose mission is to reduce social and economic gaps in society among all populations through digital equality,” said Anat Tzur, CEO of Appleseeds.
“We see technology as both a path and a language that drives socio-economic mobility and increases equality within society,” said Tzur.