This is how C3 entrepreneurs are spreading hope during the COVID-19 crisis!

The world as we knew it has changed, forever, since the World Health Organization announced the breakout of COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11th, 2020.

Is the new emerging world better or worse? It’s hard to tell the future when we’re in the midst of crisis, but all around us we see hope. We see businesses and individuals from all walks of life rolling up their sleeves, creating compassionate and courageous collaborations to support their communities through the chaos, and even lay the groundwork for how our post-pandemic world will sustain itself.

Across the region, C3’s entrepreneurs have been working hard to step up their efforts and continue delivering on their social missions despite the massive challenges. We wanted to take a moment, a breather, to celebrate their initiatives and showcase their outstanding resilience in spreading what we all need most right now: hope for a better future.

Thriving under lockdown

Someone’s loss is another’s gain? Possibly, but without resilience and agility CHEFAA would have lost the opportunity

Companies in the business of goods delivery might have hit a jackpot as a result of the lockdown. But with COVID-19 spreading among drivers and other operational challenges in Egypt and Saudi, not all businesses are thriving. CHEFAA was up to the challenge. The team has been working around the clock to serve, educate and assure patients amid the current panic and chaos with over 95% increase in their active users, and a three-folds increase in orders for home-delivered medication. What did it take? Believing in their mission and responsibility towards society, as well as embracing an agile and responsive business model to support the rapid expansion without compromising quality.

BEKIA to Egyptians: please stay home, we’ll do the grocery shopping for you

From a recycling platform to a grocery delivery service, BEKIA is the definition of agility under crisis. They launched the grocery delivery service to support their customers during the pandemic as the Egyptian government has been urging citizens to stay home. Customers now have access to more goods on the platform and can pay in cash upon delivery instead of points collected from recycling. BEKIA’s flexibility and swiftness in adjusting its operations ensured the staff kept their jobs and has also created jobs in customer support.

Building National Capabilities

How INNOTECH repurposed their 3D printing technology to manufacture medical equipment

“We make for Oman” (#نصنع_من_أجل_عمان) is INNOTECH’s new slogan as the company transforms its operations from promotional 3D printing and educational technologies to manufacturing medical equipment, such as protective masks and ventilators, to ensure the country is well equipped to contain the situation in case the COVID-19 spreads abruptly. The company has captured media attention in Oman and the region as its volunteering Omani engineers take on the national duty of building manufacturing capabilities that will serve the country during and post the pandemic.

Supporting All Communities

Not sure which social project your company can support? Companies for Good will guide you

Veerto, a health solution platform, wanted to help its clients continue to do good from home under the lockdown. They partnered with Companies for Good to innovate the “Workout for Good” initiative that impacts employees, the company and the community. For every minute the team exercises from home, the company donates to a social project they are most passionate about.

Companies for good has also collaborated with Melltoo, a business in the UAE that buys and sells used items, to launch the “#TechForTrees” campaign. UAE citizens are encouraged to declutter for good with this simple swap: donate your unused electronics to support planting a tree for each item you donate.

A struggling small business in Egypt? Don’t despair! FreshSource is offering help

Empowering others in difficult times is in FreshSource’s DNA. The company, that is connecting farms to businesses and bridging the gaps in food security, is inviting any business in Egypt that can’t deliver its products across the country to be featured on their Otlob application free of charge!

One Good Thing to do today: buy masks to donate a mask

One Good Thing is donating a mask to those most vulnerable and less fortunate for every pack of masks you buy. The masks are made in South Africa using fabric off-cuts otherwise destined for landfill.

YallaGive is helping vulnerable communities survive the Covid-19 crisis

YallaGive is actively supporting multiple non-profit organizations, from Doctors without frontiers (MSF) to the Emirates Red Crescent, to raise funds for COVID-19 relief campaigns. They are working closely with the UAE governmental entities to verify each charity and make sure your money is safe and being put for good use. One of the latest relief campaigns launched in collaboration with Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19 is “10 Million Meals,” the UAE’s biggest community campaign to provide meals or food parcels to support vulnerable individuals and families.

Learning at Home

Make use of your time at home and learn something new with Al Mentor discounted courses

Al Mentor has offered a 75% discount on all their courses using the code StaySafe75. They have also created a free informative awareness course about COVID-19 in Arabic.

Time to catch-up on your long reading list with Al Rawi

Grab one of the 200 free e-books on Al Rawi’s platform until 31st July, and maybe share your free copy of their COVID-19 comprehensive health awareness guide with your friends and family.

Who knew distant learning will be the new norm overnight? Arabee and MyU are making it a lot easier

As Arabee, a UAE based Arabic language learning platform, realized how teachers and parents are struggling with teaching Arabic to kids under lockdown, they provided content for early years native Arabic speakers for free and offered its online content to new schools for a fraction of the original price. They have been providing partner schools with extra IT support and training. Arabee will soon launch a family app to allow children to learn Arabic independently.

In Kuwait, MyU has generously offered its prime service for free to help any school or institution in the country create and maintain a private online learning environment for their students to proceed with their remote learning during the lockdown. It only takes one day to deploy the solution so that the classes can resume swiftly.

Spreading Health awareness

Health at Hand is easing the hassle of getting a reliable medical advice under lockdown

Health at Hand’s free of charge COVID19 Clinic is going strong. During specific hours, their doctors are available to quickly and reliably advise on your coronavirus concerns. They have also created an online assessment to help prepare and protect you and the ones around you.

With unprecedented times of stress, panic and fear, your mental health deserves attention more than ever. Shezlong and Labayh are lending a listening ear

Use the free counselling sessions offered by both companies to help individuals navigate through the massive uncertainties and tensions of being under lockdown.

Shezlong is going further by donating 10% of its fees to support the efforts of the Ministry of Health in Egypt to purchase critical medical equipment required in quarantine facilities.