Strengthening Civil Society

The work of change is hard to measure.

But small actions have a multiplying effect.

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The work of change is hard to measure. But small actions have a multiplying effect. ~

Across different contexts, we have supported learning around organizational development, leadership and facilitation, communication and mediation, community engagement, and participatory approaches to program design, monitoring, and learning. The emphasis is often on building resilience and capacities that are both practical and adaptable. We also consistently create spaces for diverse organizations and communities to come together to develop collaborative and innovative strategies and initiatives.

Work With Us

“I now describe myself as a better listener, a better negotiator, a better leader. I understand that sometimes if there is a dispute, you are not going there to settle the conflict, but you just create room to set the perfect environment for both parties to negotiate”

— Effective communication & mediation training participant

Resiliency & Inclusion Program

Through a number of programs developed with diverse partners we have been supporting the work of migrant community leaders across the region, helping to develop mutual aid mechanisms, providing capacity-building and knowledge-sharing opportunities, and promoting the community’s participation in local and international decision-making processes related to migration. This has included the delivery of trainings on leadership, governance, community engagement, effective communication and mediation, storytelling, holistic security and psychosocial wellbeing, contingency planning, financial management and strategic planning.

BUILD - Designing for Equity

Driven by the conviction that as a society we are only as strong as the most vulnerable amongst us, BUILD supported the development and implementation of responsive and community-driven initiatives effectively improving the lives of vulnerable migrant workers in Kuwait.

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Success Stories

Desert Days of the Forgotten

A documentation initiative highlighting the living and working conditions of shepherds in Kuwait’s desert areas. The project raised awareness about an often invisible migrant labor community.
eBuddy

A digital tool designed to help grassroot organizations manage cases involving migrant workers. The app offered a WhatsApp-style interface for case tracking and connected users to relevant support resources.
Home Businesses Campaign

A policy advocacy initiative that pushed for legal recognition of home-based businesses in Kuwait. The campaign later contributed to the introduction of legislation enabling food truck licensing.
Grey Area

An awareness and advocacy initiative addressing the challenges faced by children born to Kuwaiti mothers and non-Kuwaiti fathers, whose legal and social status often falls into a “grey area.” The project raised public awareness and encouraged conversations around rights, identity, and belonging.

“STAND was a great help in giving us the tools and the arena to step back and reflect on where we were as an organization and recalibrate our mission, vision and values. Most importantly, STAND strengthened and continues to help us build our community network and partnerships in ways which give us a greater voice to create meaningful change.”

—STAND participant

2017 - 2018 > The Manara initiative mobilized civil society organizations (CSOs) and emerging women leaders with the shared goal of enhancing gender equality through coalition building and advocacy campaigning. The initiative was developed under the umbrella of the Empowering Kuwaiti Women in Politics (EKWIP) program, in partnership with PartnersGlobal and Ibtkar Consulting.

Manara

2017 - 2019 > As part of our strategy to support civic sector growth and cross-sector collaboration, en.v has been supporting the Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO) in the development and implementation of the annual Sharakah Workshops, which provide local CSOs with the opportunity to learn about innovative models from international leaders in the field, as well as to share knowledge and build relationships.

KIPCO Sharakah Workshops

2017 - 2018 > With the purpose of enhancing cross-regional learning and civic sector development, en.v provided monitoring and evaluation support to selected grantees in Palestine and Yemen, as part of this collaborative program implemented by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX).

Regional Assistance Program

2016 - 2018 > The launching pad for our ongoing partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the PACE program reflected our first efforts to address the systemic challenges faced by local CSOs, with an emphasis on increasing accountability, visibility, coordination and collaboration.

PACE - Promoting & Advocating for Civic Sector Enhancement

2012 - 2016 > The STAND program was developed as an international collaboration between en.v, PartnersGlobal and other regional partners in Yemen, Bahrain and Oman. Over the course of four years, it served as a leading incubator and facilitator of civil society development in Kuwait, providing high-quality, locally relevant training, advocacy and networking opportunities to local CSOs.

STAND - Support for Training, Advocacy, Networking & Development

2019 - Over the years, we have been working to not only build the capacity of individual CSOs, but also to address the structural challenges facing the sector as a whole. Through our collaboration with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), one of the most important players and donors in the field, we supported the development of a long-term strategy for sector-building which is aligned with and reflective of the needs and aspirations of our stakeholders.

Kuwait Civil Society: Planning for Impact

“The training started with trying to know yourself. Your dedication is coming from where? What brought you where you are? What triggers you? The training started and ended with how we can identify ourselves as a leader. That is very important because we cannot be a very successful leader or efficient leader if we, from our heart, don’t know from where we started and where we are leading to.“

— Leadership workshop participant