Alfanar
 |
|
| Formation | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Tarek Ben Halim |
| Type |
|
| Purpose | improve lives in disadvantaged communities |
|
Region served
|
Arab Region |
|
Board Chair
|
Lubna Olayan |
| Website | alfanar |
Alfanar (which means lighthouse in Arabic) is the first venture philanthropy organisation (VPO) focused specifically on supporting development efforts in the Arab Region. Started by Tarek Ben Halim in 2004, Alfanar is guided by the vision that building effective and sustainable civil society organisations will not only improve lives, but also transform communities across the Arab region.
Alfanar has been operating in Egypt since 2004, supporting innovative organisations that work to improve early childhood education, enhance economic opportunities, combat domestic violence, widen access to healthcare, and raise awareness about social, economic and human rights. A description of Alfanar in Arabic is available .
Tarek Ben Halim was born in Tripoli, Libya, on 4 December 1955 to Mustafa Ben Halim who served as Prime Minister of Libya from April 1954 to May 1957, and Yusra Kanaan, a mother of Palestinian descent. After receiving a BSc in Finance from Warwick University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, he worked as an investment banker at JP Morgan, Credit Suisse First Boston and Goldman Sachs where he rose to Managing Director. In 2005, Tarek was appointed non-executive director of the MAF Group in Dubai. He also acted as an Advisor to the Central Bank of Libya and Trustee of Common Purpose International. After battling brain cancer for 14 months, Tarek died on 11 December 2009, one week after his 54th birthday. Tarek’s obituary in The Guardian reads: “He believed passionately in the duty of wealthier Arabs to give something back to the region, and he railed against the ‘self-serving, unrepresentative governments that have, with few exceptions, ruled the Arab world since the 19th century’”.Tarek Ben Halim is survived by his wife Cynthia Oakes, the daughter of iconic US journalist John Bertram Oakes, and their three children. The Tarek Ben Halim Memorial Fund Film, which tells the story of Tarek’s vision behind Alfanar, can be viewed here - Memorial Fund Film
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