Reinventing the future through education: the entrepreneurial journey of École 42 in the Middle East

The Ficus macrophylla is a remarkable tree found in Sicily. For me, it embodies living memory and the breath of transmission.

Typical of rainforests, it grows as a climbing plant, spreading its roots around the trunk of its host, which it eventually replaces to take its place. The sequence of tree leaves that become roots! It's an ode to nature for our most important mission: transmission.

I'm sharing these few lines about my experience working for the Chams NGO.

I became interested in the cause of refugees in the Middle East in 2016, after visiting the Zaatari camp in Jordan with the UNHCR.

Very soon after this visit, I wanted to set up training courses and code schools in refugee camps. The highly innovative "baseline" was on the borderline between humanitarian aid and education. By exploring the camp, its inhabitants’ youth, and reading the UNHCR reports (less than 3% go on to higher education, even though they have spent around twenty years in the camp), I decided to launch a project in 2018 to train refugees to become talented coders inside and outside the camps.

I don't come from the humanitarian or educational world; I'm convinced of the usefulness of this training, and an entrepreneurial dynamic also drives me. At the same time as training several batches of students in code alongside the camp (2018-2022), I've been talking to Ecole 42, identifying their awe-inspiring model and the inspiring effectiveness of peer learning on populations of different educational levels (no diploma is required for this training and the courses are free).

It's 2018, I spent a few days in Corsica with some friends, and then I received some excellent news: we had authorization from 42 Paris to create a 42 school in the Middle East, particularly for refugees. The campus will be in Amman, where Chams has been operating since the beginning of 2018.

Why 42? While the cost of training is estimated at $8-10K per student for a 6-month code boot camp (this includes the cost of teachers, assistants, the programme manager, logistics, etc.), we remain firmly convinced that students should not bear these costs.

École 42 was the obvious solution. In addition to its impressive scale (in Korea, classes of over 950 students!) and decreasing cost, the peer learning method creates a social dynamic of inclusion adapted to vulnerable populations.

After a few proposals for locations, Chams signed its 42-franchise agreement in December 2019 to set up a 42 school in Amman with a minimum of 150 students, some of whom will be refugees.

The infinite improbability of future events

The statue of the migrant in Beirut - photo dedicated to me by the designer Alfred (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_(author)

In Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, which inspired the number 42, training in infinite improbability and surreal adventures is part of the story: probability and chance determine the plot's direction, not logic!

 

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we tried unsuccessfully to contact foundations in France and the UK, but the world came to a standstill.

We are continuing our training by organizing distance learning courses and distributing SIM data cards to refugees in the Zaatari camp.

In 2021, as a pure success fee, I recruited a communications agency in London, run by a former Director of the UNHCR. We have no funding other than that which keeps the programmes running, and at this stage, we have not yet raised the funds to launch School 42 in Amman. A brochure was soon published, and a few donors were approached: we were looking for 2 million euros at the time.

Mid 2021 - During this period, we had the confidence of Sophie Viger, the CEO of 42 Paris, who was sensitive to refugee issues and the plight of vulnerable populations. At that time, the school had not yet been set up, even though our contract provided for its completion within a year of signing. At that time, our bank balance was only €2,000, which was not enough to start building a school 42, and far from enough, let alone encouraging! 🙂 

In the third quarter of 2021, we terminated the contract with the agency over differences of opinion on the donor acquisition strategy. A blessing in disguise, they say. You must keep moving forward and not look back.

At the same time, our search for a local partner was unsuccessful. Al Al Bayt University, the German Jordanian university, and other institutions were also unsuccessful.42 One day, Paris sent me a request from Hussein Technical University via its Director of Innovation.

A few exchanges and then nothing. I call on my contacts at the Embassy (who have already given us two grants for our first two courses), and I get a new contact named Williams, a professor at HTU! A Shakespearean character of formidable efficiency who speaks French. He explored our subject, understood our needs, and put us in touch with the President of HTU—an excellent university, integrated into the prestigious Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) constellation.

We are now moving forward with a partnership with the young vocational training subsidiary HTU Plus.

November 2021 - 2022 The purpose of power is to give the impossible a chance

In June 2021, we presented the 42 Amman programme to Her Excellency the Ambassador and the Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action (COCAC). They were highly motivated and optimistic about the programme and suggested we apply for the FSPI grant (Fonds de Solidarité pour les Projets Innovants). This is a fund that embassies manage on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for innovative programmes of exceptional interest. We prepared a detailed application in October and obtained initial funding of 600K Euros in April 2022. This is excellent news for continuing to set up and launch the school and finding other intermediaries and support (a bit like financing start-ups).

The project provides for the launch of Campus 42 and the selection of the first intake, which will start in June 2022 and run until the end of 2023 (an average of 18 months for a 42-student intake). It's a very tight schedule, sometimes because of organizational inertia, but that's the law!

At the same time, since November 2021, we have been discussing signing an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with HTU Plus in May 2022.

Our fundraising efforts are multiplying. In early 2022, we submitted a grant application to the Development Innovation Fund (FID), and in July 2022, we responded to AFD's annual initiative for civil society organizations. We were turned down for both grants. In both cases, the training subject in Jordan was not a priority 🙁.

Higher education in developing countries is a complex issue to finance. Vulnerable populations cannot afford the cost of studies. Grants are tiny and marginal, and our project is on the border of the "Livelihood" section of humanitarian foundations, where funding is even smaller and patchier.

In addition, the association does not present an annual budget for the years N-1 and N-2, which is a stumbling block regarding the requirements of the organizations mentioned above. With an annual budget of between €100k and €150k, it would be difficult for us to apply for funding of up to €2m. This disproportion fuels a real lack of understanding of the theory of change underpinning our programme.

For us, it's the opposite: a coder can easily find a job and, even if he or she is a refugee, can leave for another country with a 42 diploma. We chose this school for its international scope and its prospects for openness and inclusion.

2022: E = The Network

Thanks to a few French donors, I'm doubling my efforts this year. I recruited Caterina as my assistant for a year, to help me with appeals for donations, feed the network, and find foundations in the region. In the middle of the year, I met a former school principal and math’s teacher, Areej, who also opened the door to discussions, notably with Microsoft Jordan, which has a significant regional R&D branch.

Sophie Vigier sent me a contact, Joe Tricot, an American of Lebanese origin who had worked at Google and followed 42 in San Francisco and wanted to set up this school himself! He introduced me to the King's Chief of Staff in Amman.

Finally, thanks to an inspiring post on LinkedIn (I don't do much of that, as I can't do everything), Roy, a Franco-Lebanese entrepreneur, contacted me and put me in touch with two big names in Jordanian tech: Nafez and Zaid.

On LinkedIn, I've connected with Amira, who works on a World Bank project (Youth, Technology and Jobs project—YTJ) and is funding vocational training for a major five-year programme: Digiskills.

Digiskills is a programme hosted by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Digital (MoDee) which aims to improve the training and requalification of young people in Jordan in digital skills and support their employees in the corresponding functions (Upskill and Reskill).

The embassy's COCAC made every effort to introduce me to the head of the local AFD, the European Commission, GIZ and Nuffic (the Dutch development agency). I'm gradually learning the logic of marathon financing with international public institutions.

Things are moving forward, even if at the end of 2022, I only had my FSPI. What's more, I had to start school as soon as possible at the risk of having to return the money and terminate the contract with 42.

In September, at Caterina's instigation, we had a meeting of the 3rd kind: the CEO of the Crown Prince Foundation. She was enlightened and immediately grasped the importance of SCALE UP and the 42 product (a significant initial investment, but the cost per student decreases over time). She is subtle and highly effective.

We also had to remain visible and carry out our bootcamps over 3 and 6 months. We were able to run 2 bootcamps with Amazon Web Services, so that students could become Junior Cloud Practitioners. A real success in terms of employability and, we were lucky enough to be contacted by Sophie, a tech manager at a well-known London start-up, who decided to give up 2 months of her time as a volunteer for our students. It made a real difference.

Finally, I'm making an angel business investment in Numa, a fintech equivalent to Shine in France. As well as the quality of the project, this allows me to take a longer-term view of future recruitment of our students.

Even though I was stressed, I was confident that I could find the missing finance.

January 2023: A powerful engine with no fuel remains at a standstill

We are starting 2023 with an agreement for 600K Euros from the Crown Prince Foundation. This is most likely linked to the CEO of the Crown Prince Foundation's decision to include the 42 campus in the foundation's list of supported programmes.

Exhilarated by this news, we slept very little in the days before receiving the commitment letter. We're now at €1.2m.

But it wasn't enough to be happy with this rise in power.

We need to move forward to start looking for a site, as the first site we proposed at 42 Paris was not eligible, being too small to house the first intake of at least 150 students.

We're still at a standstill regarding financing—we're still 300K short! What I've learnt from my entrepreneurial experiences in the tech sector is never to give up, even when you think you're not far from your goal.

1st half 2023: Time and the hour overcome the most challenging day - Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 3)

In addition to the stress of delivering the school on a very tight schedule, which is dictated by the agreement we signed with the Embassy, the management of the contract is becoming sluggish.

As a convinced optimist, I know that sometimes, you have to endure painful stages to reach your goal.

I spend a lot of time reworking budgets and trying to cut costs.

Caterina and I contacted UNICEF Jordan, Digiskills, the Nuffic agency, and Plan International. Even if these NGOs are interested in the project, we'll have to visit them once the school runs.

Between June and July, we respond to calls for applications for donations:

-        AFD (a second time now that we have solid capital),

-        The innovation and development fund for stage 1: implementation of a pilot (considering that School 42 in Amman is a pilot)

-        GIZ for the vocational training of young people living in Jordan

-        Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for the training and empowerment of refugees

A 4-4 defeat! A great moment of solitude.

Finally, I'm applying for the French Tech communities label in Amman, which would give me access to several advantages, particularly in terms of exchanges between communities of entrepreneurs. This would have enabled the school to benefit from French communication in the tech sector to support its image. The result was negative.

"Life is paved with lost opportunities," wrote Romain Gary in The Promise of Dawn.

4th quarter 2023: When the shadow is thickest, the light chooses its bearer

In August we agreed to recruit our CEO. She will arrive in September 2023—a dynamic Jordanian American with excellent experience in the private sector in the US.

We worked on all aspects of the school: the site architecture, the student recruitment campaign, the 42 methodologies, and the team recruitment. We identified a governance problem I could remedy during the first two terms. We then proposed a reorganization, which was accepted.

We need an even bigger budget and 50 more computers to keep the peer learning method, the spearhead of method 42, running smoothly. We're constantly on the lookout for funding until Feb 2024!

Well, we're finally there, thanks to Zain, one of the biggest telecommunications operators in the Middle East. Phew!

A wave of 42:

The campaign for the last quarter of 2023 was a huge success, with over 9,000 registrants, half of whom passed the first stage. This shows interest in the programme and allows our implementers to believe in scaling up. Our three 42 pools are ready.

The school is due to open in March 2024, with a first intake of 158 students, almost half of whom will be women (one of the highest figures among 42 campuses worldwide), and an official inauguration in September.

The programme thus became national under the aegis of the Crown Prince's Foundation. Several other 42 schools, in particular the 42 schools in Irbid, are flourishing, and our partner HTU+ is taking over our franchise contract. Several thousand people will be trained by 2030 (our initial objective with Chams!).

Lessons learned and next steps 

I admit it: I feel like a personal victory when I see the posts on the social networks of 42 Amman and 42 Irbid, and I'm so delighted for the students and the refugees (Syrians, Iraqis, Yemenis and Palestinians).

42 Amman is a new building dedicated to the future of young people in Jordan—a building set in marble, as we say in France.

Anyone who has visited Petra can feel the emotion of the builders between civilizations. Building bridges between our civilizations through transmission and education will stand the test of time in a world gradually closing in.

The current limitations of Chams and lessons learned.

Chams straddles the line between humanitarianism, financial vulnerability, and higher education, and let's be honest, it's not an easy concept to fund. It sometimes involves juggling very different funding requests, a lengthy application process, and, above all, having to contend with the agendas of public institutions where innovation is occasionally absent (thanks to the FSPI model, which is very innovative in this respect).

Even though I'm motivated and challenged by the idea of opening 42 other schools, particularly in South Africa, Rwanda, and Kenya, where hundreds of thousands of refugees are on the ground, we'll have to come up with a new version of our NGO and rethink the way it works. Recruiting motivated members, an active board, establishing a 3–5-year budget, and creating a team are crucial to building other edifices.

It can also be a way of working with international NGOs to put these programmes on their agendas.

We hope 2025 will be a year rich in excellent encounters with foundations and donors sensitive to this incredible adventure that has been carried through to the end.