Idea
Na’amal is a company and social enterprise (a member of Social Enterprise UK) that addresses the remote talent needs of companies by providing access to skilled refugee tech talent. Na’amal provides refugees and other underrepresented communities training in marketable skills, with a focus on human (soft) skills; collaborating with organisations that train in digital skills that are required in the global labour market and links them to dignified digital remote work.
Their Remote Work Readiness Programme is focused on the development of non-technical, durable 21st-century human skills nurtured through online learning, skills workshops and mentoring. Since Na’amal has begun operating in 2020, they have trained 260 refugees and members of the host community (May 2022).
Na’amal builds partnerships with employers to hire and mentor refugee talent. Their alumni have gone on to be employed in major tech companies (both remote and co-located), working as freelancers, or have become entrepreneurs.
People
Lorraine Charles is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Na’amal. She is also a Research Associate for the Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge. She does consultancy, supporting the wider work on digital livelihoods for displaced people.
Amber Steck is the Global Partnerships Manager for Na’amal. She is also a Remote Job Coach and an EdD researcher focused on curriculum, instruction and assessment.
Isabella Evason is the Communications and Programme Coordinator for Na’amal. She is also a team lead and researcher for the Peterloo Institute.
Sonia Catinean is interning at Na’amal as the Programme Coordinator, alongside her Social Research and Public Policy degree at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Adrian Smith is the Legal Counsel for Na’amal. He is also a regulatory lawyer and compliance consultant.
Na’amal’s Advisory Board consists of Krista Skalde-Roy, Adam Coutts, Christian Vietz, Grace Atkinson and Irene Omondi.
Impact
Na’amal envisions a world where refugees and other underrepresented communities have the skills and confidence to thrive in dignified employment. With the growing global displacement crisis – in Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Eritrea and the Congo – the need for a new narrative of employment is needed. Remote work allows for a fairer distribution of opportunities, which no longer need to be centred around economic capitals in the Global North. This creates opportunities for refugees, displaced and all other underrepresented communities to access decent and fair work.
The hope is that digital employment could lead to decent work for migrant and refugee populations, characterised by improved employment prospects compared to the informal, precarious and often exploitative jobs in their host countries.
Lead entrepreneur
Lorraine Charles
Get in touch
Na’amal are interested in connecting with companies willing to mentor and sponsor emerging refugee talent, as well as employers who might hire their talent. They also welcome partnerships with companies or initiatives in the field doing similar work, as well as funding opportunities.
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