Wave Initiative

 

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The WAVE Initiative

Women achieving value and empowerment

Our focus and dedication is to build strong communities in less developed areas, and by advancing opportunities for global women who remain underrepresented in the workforce, we seek to promote a lasting and sustainable shift that will support women as leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. In cooperation with communities and local organizations around the world, the Foundation created the WAVE Initiative (Women Achieving Value and Empowerment) to empower women to become active leaders in society as a crucial strategy for community and economic development for marginalized global populations.

WAVE seeks to advance the position of women and enhance their role as valuable contributing members of society, as well as to advocate for the importance of partnering with women‐owned businesses in the United States. To many, this may be an intelligent business opportunity, and while this is true, there is a need to unite in solidarity for humanitarian reasons as well. Women have to fight harder than men to be taken seriously as entrepreneurs, they have to struggle to achieve financial backing, and they have to take each step forward with unwavering confidence, lest they be deemed unworthy of entrepreneurial success. Women around the world need champions, people who are willing to understand the culture of women and the barriers imposed by a male-dominated society, and who will guide their entrepreneurial spirit while also maintaining their cultural values.

Recent studies, for example, show that many Afghan women have a similar story, and the barriers they are forced to overcome are even more pronounced. Overcoming poverty is a constant struggle, as many women are deprived of the many essentials of life, including water, electricity, income, health, stability, peace, and home. Women are delegated to performing unskilled trade work, repetitious manual labor, and are prevented from developing the skills needed to follow their life goals and develop entrepreneurial skills.

The statistics are staggering and provide an unfortunate snapshot of the gender equality divide that still exists in underserved areas around the world.

In Afghanistan, where 48.8% of the 23.9 million people are female:

  • Only 12% of females can read and write.
  • 57% of girls who are married do so before the legal age of 16.
  • Women make up 70% of all manufacturing workers.
  • Women make up 44% of the laborers in the agricultural sector.

In lebanon:

  • Only 47% of working age females hold steady jobs on the labor market.
  • 26% of women are currently unemployed.
  • The unemployment number of Lebanon women has increased in recent years as more than 75% of the country’s population is unemployed based on 2020 statistics.

Women should never be forced to do menial or trivial jobs with little pay that stifle their creativity, limit their imagination, and inhibit their potential, while being viewed only as an accessory to support the dreams of men who have a stronghold on entrepreneurial power. Women play a major role in contributing to the success and quality of life in society, and deserve to be given the chance to achieve financial independence and freedom to pursue their life-altering goals.

WAVE assists in career development to boost the entrepreneurial spirit of talented women while also maintaining their cultural values, arming them with the tools and drive needed to reach for their dreams. Micro loans are designed to impact the livelihood of families by offering career guidance in the form of social, educational, career support, mentoring, and training. The program accepts those with a great willingness to work hard in attaining new skills to further their career development, as they blaze the trail for future generations of successful women.

Join the WAVE Partnership Initiative Advisory Council, sponsor our upcoming Cultural Explorations, or simply become involved in our ongoing efforts, by contacting our executive director at 818-727-0413 or email executivedirector@alofoundation.org.

Our Programs

Forever Wish

Fulfilling dreams of young adults in underserved communities

Zero Hunger Initiative-Empowering Hope

Disaster Relief Funds

METHAL (Role Model) Program

Educate, Empower and Enrich the quality of life of exceptional and underserved youth globally.

Humanitarian & Cultural Missions

Fostering understanding and celebrating humanity

Scholarship

Changing the future of aspiring entrepreneurs with the building blocks of quality higher education

The Wave Initiative

Women achieving value and empowerment

Sisterhood Worldwide

Transforming the lives and spirit of young women

ALO Care Program

Improving the quality of care and supporting low-income families in times of crisis

ALO-Diversity Symposiums

The Foundation continues its march toward cultural unity and meaningful connection by hosting a series of discussions designed to bring diverse cultures and communities closer than ever with shared understanding, compassion, and empathy.

ALO-ART Exhibition

When art is conveyed through the eyes of a child, they are able to capture innocence, creativity, and emotional expressions that are not often present in adult works of art.