Shaikha Hessa is the founder and chairperson of INJAZ Bahrain which is part of an international organisation called Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide that has a network in more than 120 countries around the world. The mission of INJAZ Bahrain is “To inspire and prepare young Bahrainis to succeed in a global economy.”
How did you become involved with INJAZ Bahrain?
I’m an alumni of Young Enterprise UK, a member of JA worldwide, which specialises in enterprise and financial education. I took part in their programmes when I was in school in the UK.
Inspired by the idea of people passing knowledge to other people, I decided to bring INJAZ to Bahrain.
I founded INJAZ Bahrain in 2005 in partnership with key organisations from the private sector, in order to inspire and prepare young Bahrainis to succeed in the global economy.
Our mission is to introduce international programmes that cater for entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness that can help young Bahrainis unlock their full potential and achieve their goals.
What is it about the organisation that makes it special to you?
What makes INJAZ special is the fact that volunteerism is at the heart of what we do. Our volunteers dedicate their time to inspire, educate and prepare students for the world of work, bridging the gap between the business community and schools.
The partnership between volunteers and students, between the private and the public sector, between the corporations and the schools is what has made INJAZ successful.
What is the INJAZ achievement, during your time, that you are most proud of?
The achievement I am most proud of is partnering with Bahrain’s Ministry of Education. The ministry has played a vital role in facilitating and implementing INJAZ Bahrain programmes in all educational institutes across the Kingdom.
Other achievements I am proud of include the strategic partnerships we have formed between the public and private sectors, the formation of our board of directors which comprises 18 companies from the private sector, the continuous support from the private sector, as well as the time dedicated by our volunteers.
I am very proud of the milestones INJAZ has achieved over the years. To date INJAZ Bahrain has reached more than 200,000 students through more than 8,000 volunteers.
How do you personally strive to live the INJAZ message of empowerment and development?
I live the INJAZ message of empowerment and development by inspiring myself and the people around me, by partnering with people from different sectors and by keeping up with the global economy, which is the heart of INJAZ Bahrain.
INJAZ Bahrain is an international programme that is in the development stages, it is always being renewed and we always aim to introduce new programmes.
We believe that lifelong learning is the best way to live the principals of inspiring and preparing yourself and others for the real business world.
