Partnership aims to support young entrepreneurs so they can contribute to a more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous society
Orange Corners (OC) and AstraZeneca have signed a LOI to support the Orange Corners programme in Jordan and the Palestinian Territories focused on creating an enabling environment for young entrepreneurs.
As part of the collaboration, AstraZeneca will provide funding to the programme through its Young Health Programme (YHP), a holistic and integrated community investment programme focused on connecting adolescents to health and wellbeing. AstraZeneca will also participate in OC’s mentorship programme, offering support for young entrepreneurs. The signing of the LOI marks an ambition to expand the already existing partnership with Orange Corners in South Africa to other countries and regions.
Orange Corners aims to improve job prospects for youth between the ages of 18 and 35, in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. OC is active in 14 countries, with 17 hubs and counting. The programme strengthens ecosystems for youth entrepreneurship and youth employment. Furthermore, Orange Corners stimulates the entrepreneurial mindset of young people. It offers incubation, acceleration, access to finance, education and training, support for policy development and business challenges, with a strong involvement of the Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and partners from the private sector, such as AstraZeneca.
Rami Scandar, Country President for the Near East and the Maghreb Cluster at AstraZeneca, said: “Jordan and the Palestinian Territories have some of the youngest and best educated populations in the world, but their young people are disproportionately affected by unemployment. By supporting the Orange Corners programmes in Jordan and the Palestinian Territories, we hope to provide young entrepreneurs with the support and opportunities they need to grow, with access to a network of expertise and experience, helping them to develop their innovative ideas into thriving businesses.”
Harry Verweij, Netherlands Ambassador to Jordan, said: “Innovation, entrepreneurship and youth employment are important pillars in the Netherland’s portfolio of Private Sector Development that aims in assisting towards a resilient economy in Jordan. “Orange Corners” is a Dutch flagship programme that focuses on those pillars. It has already produced tangible outcomes in 14 countries and 17 cities in the region.”
Since its launch in 2010, the AstraZeneca Young Health Programme (YHP) has reached over 40 million young people with information about non-communicable disease (NCD) risk behaviours. The YHP programme also helps to develop young leaders and youth-serving organisations through mentorships, scholarships, grants and learning opportunities to foster sustainable, collective leadership focused on improving youth health.
At AstraZeneca, sustainability is about contributing to a healthy society, healthy people and a healthy planet, and these three priorities are interconnected. The partnership builds on the YHP’s ambitions to strengthen the knowledge and capacity of young leaders and their organisations to develop sustainable programmes which boost inclusive economic progress, specifically in rural and underdeveloped areas. Due in part to additional barriers in accessing education and employment opportunities, young people in low- and middle-income countries disproportionately face greater obstacles, and as a result, have poorer health outcomes. We know that when young people have equitable access to economic opportunities, they can thrive in their homes, jobs and communities. These opportunities can impact their health choices and health-seeking behaviours, improving their overall health in the long run.
Working in partnership with over 30 not-for-profit organisations around the world, the YHP has trained over 190,000 young people in the delivery of interventions and over 74,000 frontline health workers in adolescent health. The YHP is currently running in 34 countries globally.
For more information on the AstraZeneca Young Health Programme visit: yhp.astrazeneca.com
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About Orange Corners
Orange Corners is managed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency at the request of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each Orange Corner is initiated by a local Dutch Embassy or Representation and in close corporation with local partners. Orange Corners aims to increase job prospects for youth, through building ecosystems for young entrepreneurship and youth employment. More information: www.orangecorners.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on LinkedIn @AstraZeneca.
AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme (YHP) is a global disease prevention programme with a unique focus on young people aged 10 to 24, living in vulnerable environments and under-resourced settings around the world. The YHP aims to prevent the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease and mental ill health.
Delivered in partnership with Plan International and UNICEF and informed by research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, it has reached more than 30 countries and 40 million youth* with information about NCD risk behaviours. The YHP aims to support the development of protective environments and empower young people to make informed choices about their health. A holistic and integrated programme, it combines community programmes, research and advocacy and supports the development of young leaders. The YHP is part of AstraZeneca’s sustainability commitment to accelerate delivery of sustainable healthcare and use our capabilities to strengthen health systems and improve equitable access.
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Contacts
Orange Corners Media contact: [email protected]
AstraZeneca media contact: [email protected]
