(العربية)

Mohamed Shaker is a Syrian entrepreneur, born in Damascus in 1990. Mohamed has shown an interest in painting and engineering since his early childhood. This interest, which soon became a passion, crystallized into a major academic pursuit starting first at the university of Damascus. Here, he excelled for several years and received a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and artificial intelligence in 2013, before attending the University of Joseph-Fourier in Grenoble, France, where he received a Master's degree in human-machine interaction in 2015.

He has published a number of scientific papers in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning, which were published between 2013 and 2015. He has also spent time as a visiting researcher at the design laboratory of the technical university of Copenhagen. During the same period, he designed and deployed three games that were generated automatically without a designer, based on artificial intelligence.

Mohammed moved to Amsterdam in 2016 to work for the educational company Squla, which is concerned with transforming scientific content into an interactive activity.

Mohammed Shaker's scientific and professional work received attention from the TechCity UK Foundation in Britain, classifying him as an extraordinary first-level talent in 2018, after which he moved to London.

During his career, Mohammed has also been credited with running the technical side of NFX company in Britain, a medical professional company that helps stroke patients.

From London, where he has been living since 2018, Mohammed launched his first Arab startup company Al-Meta, which specializes in understanding and analyzing Arabic using artificial intelligence. At the beginning of 2020, he launched the “Mind Phrenology” educational platform for junior high school students. Both he and his team are additionally currently working on launching a new educational platform, called Alphazed, an artificially-intelligent educational platform for unconventional education of Arab children.

Arab-Swiss entrepreneurs: In a postmodernism age, with the results of the communication and information revolution, today's world is flooded with contradictory information and news, often coming to intercept facts approved by scientific complexes, such as the hazards of smoking, the necessity of traffic signals, and the denial of proven and documented incidents and facts at a high level. The process of obtaining knowledge and information-building has become a selective process that is subject to the person's desires and ideological orientations, how do you think “The Meta” can help to solve this dilemma in the Arab region?

Mohamed Shaker: This is a very important question. There are two important points I would like to talk about here.

1. The problem of opinion from one point of view is that we are all born in a certain environment with a certain background and beliefs. All of this shapes who we are, and why we hold on to a particular belief. Our instinct is to agree more with opinions consistent with our ideological background and to attack and rebut opinions that are different from our ideological background. This is very common among us.

Therefore, our first goal in Meta was to be an unaffiliated platform, and to be a platform for showing all views to all Arabs. This is why, in Meta we have worked for four months to develop a system that automatically works to identify and consolidate articles on the same topic in one place (what we call in AI "one cluster" or "cluster"). Within each cluster, we automatically identify the views of each article and compare them with the views of other articles. We also automatically summarize these articles under "the most important thing to know about this news." All of this is then shown to the user to be aware of different points of view and to be aware of the importance of understanding them. See appendix:

We recently added the "News related to this topic" feature to any article. For example, you might see that in this article:

You'll see articles from other news sources on the same subject directly below them, along with the quality rating of their content. All of this is to give the user the right tools to dive into content better, more consciously and more deeply, whenever he or she wants.

We humans don't like absolute things, we like comparisons. A way of evaluating the quality of content and comparing several articles with similar content is the best method to achieve that outcome.

2. We use a non-human unguided agent to examine the content. I think the human factor is always skewed toward one viewpoint even if he or she doesn’t want it to. The existence of "correctly-controlled" industrial intelligence makes this process more reliable. You will find that we have dedicated our services to artificial intelligence. Anyone can enter any link to any Arab article and immedaitely understand the quality of its content. This service is also programmed using an API interface for any Arab or foreign company that wants to measure the quality of any given content. You can look at the appendices.

Arab-Swiss entrepreneurs: Google's search engine has been criticized for its work in selecting top stories on the basis that the highest payer will appear on top of the search results. Although Google's top news application was launched in 2018, which gave priority to reliable news at the expense of the "client experience" model and the most push sites, the problem remains. What are the criteria of selecting news on the Meta application? Do you have contracts of some kind with news sites, newspapers or news agencies?.

Mohamed Shaker: think that statement is quite right. It’s the "ethical AI" or "ethical intelligence" problem, which is a problem in any system that uses artificial intelligence. I will give you an example. In the area of autonomous vehicles, if for some reason the probability of an accident is 100%, will the "smart system" decide to crash into a child, an old man, or a wall (and cause the driver's inevitable death)? Will the intelligent system choose to save the driver and cause the old man to die because he is old or it will choose the child? All of these are questions we must ask, know their answer, and set controls. I think that in “Al-Meta” we are very much highlighting this concept. That is why we are among the very few Arab companies worldwide that publish how they build their artificial intelligence systems for advertising. For the simple reason that we want our audience to know how our systems work, to be available to all, and to add or request a modification. Despite our very small team size and the very high cost of these documents, we’ve done it from the first day of the platform. We now have over 100 articles on our blog – http://almeta.io/blog

Arab-Swiss entrepreneurs: The launch of a new application or platform needs at least six months, as industry professionals say, but with your six-member team, you can launch the Meta app and two educational platforms within a standard period (3-4 months), can you tell us what this success is all about?

Mohamed Shaker: It's best if I break this down into two points.

1. Team effort. Our team members are very carefully selected. My two main requirements for their recruitment were that they had designed or completed a perfect project from 0 to 100 themselves before. Second, they can take any idea from a mere concept to a final software product themselves. I think that when you set the hiring criteria bar so high, you will always be pleased later down the line. I met with 200 people to eventually choose four technical people. The hardest step in defining them as an engineering structure was switching them over from what they were used to in Arab countries. All of them surprised me with their willingness to learn and their ability to adapt very quickly. That's what I love about our team.
2. I think my previous experience working with Western start-ups was beneficial. In addition, I experienced the transition from being specialist in artificial intelligence to becoming more of a generalist, which means I constantly want to know more about everything. After I moved to the UK, I joined an emerging company where I was the only tech person, which helped me to learn a lot. This is because the process led me to employ everything I had learned in the past to create, design and implement a product from the idea stage to creating a complete platform by myself. It gave me the understanding of how to build complete products and projects from scratch without fear. It’s something I’ve gone through four times so far. In each case I went from nothing to a full product. This process would give any entrepreneur great self-confidence, since very few programmers are now generalists who can build complete systems themselves. My reading of books in different fields (including non-technical literature) has actually helped me within technical fields. I try to read 70-90 books a year. I think it has changed my thinking completely within the last ten years. It made me think differently to the conventional wisdom about the world of work (and outside of work too).

The Swiss Arab entrepreneurs: the spread of the covid 19 epidemic has affected all economic and social life, and the education sector has suffered most of the damage caused by the epidemic. You have had an impact on facing the effects of the epidemic on the education sector in the Arab region by launching the Alphazid and Mind Phrenology educational platforms. What can you tell us about these platforms? Where do you find the medium-term future for digital education in the Arab region?

Mohamed Shaker: We started about four months before the COVID outbreak with the launch of the “Mind Phrenology" platform for secondary and tertiary students and their psychological support, which is a completely overlooked aspect of the secondary "signs." If schools and universities continue to be closed, we will focus more on the "Mind Phrenology" and within two weeks we will have launched an integrated learning application that also incorporates the educational aspect of the secondary grades. Its simple function is to provide all educational videos from the best teachers and schools in one platform and to make search and web services available to everyone. The application is free for everyone and is available to any secondary or tertiary student. Then we’ve also focused on an app for younger kids 6-12 years old with "alphazed." We could have launched it on May 5, 2020. But I eventually decided to delay and build up it to provide an educational environment for children that is completely different from any other educational application, Arab or foreign. The application delivers content in the same way we learn as we are young, which is in a conversational and the anecdotal style rather than the conventional learning style (you can see some prototypes here: https://thealphazed.com/). I wanted it Arabic with a new creative Arabic sense, so applying Al-Fazid takes a lot of my interest at the moment and will be available in July of 2020.

Arab-Swiss entrepreneurs: Twitter recently announced that it would allow its employees to work remotely permanently even after the (COVID 19) shutdown is over. Can twitter's actions be considered an indicator of a telecommuting model of the business landscape in the near future, Or will the expansion of the adoption of the tele-business model remain a casual issue that retreats with the end of the virus-related closure (COVVE19)?

Mohamed Shaker: I think we can reshape the question, will COVID affect only the business sector or life in general? Here in the West, there is a great concern, for example, about public transportation. I think those concerns are legitimate. You can ask the question, when will you feel safe riding on London's public transport? In most cases that won’t be until there is a vaccine and it is available to everyone. Because it is impossible to imagine being in London Underground without the rush-hour crowds of 8:30 a.m, I think that this will shape our overall lives for the next of the year, at least in the West. I think that will lead us to be more dynamic as human beings. Not only due to COVID, but how we are aligned with any other future habits. As Darwin says: The species that will remain is the most adaptable species, not necessarily the strongest. So I think that same concept applies perfectly to today’s Arab companies, including those of foreigners.

Arab-Swiss entrepreneurs: Through your experience in the remote working environment, what challenges and benefits do you have from adopting this model?

Mohamed Shaker: I think it is a process that can be measured from three points of view.

1. From the company's point of view: The freedom to choose the most efficient methods without hindrance from geographical locations.
2. From the employee's point of view (called the word "abday" in Meta): Having the freedom to plan their time and choose how their day is divided. They have more time for themselves to learn new things or to spend time with their family.
3. From the point of view of the country where the employee lives: I think the economic recovery is very good in this case in the Arab countries, which have competent young people who want to learn and work on efficient projects. This is a very important point at this moment in time because of the current situation of the Arab countries.

Arab-Swiss entrepreneurs: Projects that you have launched are self-financing, and so far there have been no profit yeilding through these projects, what is your future plan to achieve financial gains through these projects?

Mohamed Shaker: Although I have reservations about the behavior of Elon Musk recently, I will always remember him saying what I have always thought of since the beginning of these projects: "When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor." Its meaning is that: "When you work on things of importance, you make an effort for their success even if the circumstances and opportunities are against you."

With reference to our learning application, I think the current situation in the Arab region (outside the Gulf region) for education and content projects is difficult and unprofitable in the short term and, therefore, will be difficult in the long term. Arab startups are moving away from the main problems in our country and are focusing on many unhelpful apps at the expense of useful apps. Unfortunately, useful applications are not profitable and have little audience because of the country's difficult situation, most app users are looking for something that distracts them, putting their mind at ease.

But, I like to do this because it is important for my people and nation and I think I can do a lot in this aspect because of my background in engineering, education, and design. I think it is a background that makes it incumbent on me to bring experience to my people. This is what many Arab expatriates in the West overlook when they forget things that tie them to their homeland.

At the same time, I do not think it is a good thing to see that the project is not profit-making and far-reaching. Because if we can't afford it, we won't be able to deliver our products as originally intended.

Thinking 100 years forward changes your view of things. I like to think at the start of a learning project like Alphazed about what the world will look like 100 years from now. Its impact will not be visible until the current generation expands and I won’t even be here by the year 2100. But if we start it now, we will have added and improved the education of generations to come. Not just one generation, but every generation from today to 2100 and beyond.

Thinking now about the financial return, if we can deliver the most useful and best learning experience 100 times but at one tenth of the cost of others, and make it available for 100 million users instead of 10,000, then we have achieved a financial return that is sufficient to achieve a long-term vision for the next 100 years. We can also reap a financial dividend that will drive us to change generations to come, not just a single generation. This is my idea for an educational project like Alphazed.

For the Meta, the subject is similar. What can the Meta do? In 100 years? I think the Meta is much bigger than that. There are no limits to the amount of creativity and growth that can occur, for Arab minds in particular and for the wider human population in general. If we can change from Arab reality based on a one-view theory and if we can provide services to other companies to use this tech in new applications, our influence will not be limited to 300 million Arabs, but available for any human being and person who believe in the cohesion of ideas.

(English)  (German)

توجهنا بالسيارة في يوم مثلج الى المانيا للقاء رائد الاعمال عبد الجليل صايموع (Abduljalil Saymoa) في معمله في مدينة (Illingen) التي تقع على مسافة 200 كلم الى الشمال الغربي من مدينة شتوتغارت، المدينة الشهيرة بصناعة السيارات... كان الهدوء يخيم على المدن الاوروبية أثناء الرحلة، الا أنها كانت تتلألأ بالاضواء والالوان الزاهية أحتفالا بالسنة الجديدة.... لقد كان الامر طريفا ان نتعرف على طرق مبدعة وطريفة لجأ اليها السكان المحليون كي يحموا زهور الزينة من البرد القارص من خلال كسوها بحلة زاهية وقبعات حمراء تارة...وتارة تغطيتها بالقماش ووضع حزام ذهبي اللون... وبالرغم من درجات الحرارة المنخفضة في هذا الوقت من السنة والاجواء الملبدة كنا نتشوق لزيارة المعمل الأول في المانيا الذي ينتج هذا النوع من الجبن...الذي لقي استحسان المواطنين الالمان...بل وحصل على جائزة افضل جبن.

منذ لحظة وصولنا الى مقر المعمل كان من الواضح وجود الاهتمام الكبير بالمشروع خاصة لدى افراد الجالية العربية من التجار الذين يرغبون بشراء الاصناف المختلفة للجبنة العربية... حيث التقينا العديد منهم في مقر الشركة.

بعد زيارة المعمل استقلينا السيارة برفقة رائدنا للقيام بجولة الى مزرعة الابقار التي كانت أساس فكرة انشاء المعمل، وتضم حوالي تسعين رأس من الماشية، وقد قسمت الى عدة حظائر (الابقار الحوامل، الابقار الحلوب، العجول الصغيرة)، وتم تخصيص مكان لحلب الابقار بشكل الي....كما تجاذبنا اطراف الحديث مع مربي الابقار حول كيفية التعامل معها والفروقات في تربية الابقار بين سويسرا والمانيا، حيث تتبع سويسرا نظاما اكثر صرامة... وفيما يلي نص المقابلة التي اجريناها مع رائد الأعمال عبد الجليل صايموع.

لو تحدثنا في البداية عن رحلتك من سوريا الى ألمانيا؟

خرجت من سوريا في نهاية العام 2011 الى مصر حيث مكثت هناك حتى عام 2014 وذلك رغبة في الوصول الى حياة أفضل، حيث قدمنا بالقوارب عبر البحر برفقة حوالي 400 شخص واستغرقت الرحلة 14 يوما قبل أن نصل الى ايطاليا، لقد شاهدت أناسا يغرقون في قوارب الموت أمام نواظري بعد الوصول الى ايطاليا تابعت رحلتي الى المانيا لاحط في مدينة النغن (Illingen) حيث اسست مشروعي الحالي....

(كان الامر مدهشا أن نلتقي بأحد الأشخاص الذين استقلوا قوارب الموت هذه...التي لا تلبث أن تتحول الى قبور عائمة تلتهمها أمواج المتوسط... قلنا له ان هذه المشاهدات تستحق أن توثق في كتاب ليروي فيه اهوال هذه الرحلة).

السؤال الذي يتبادر الى الذهن هو لماذا اختيار مشروع انتاج الجبن ؟ هل له علاقة بعملك في سوريا؟
نعم عملت بهذا المجال في سوريا، ونتيجة صعوبة الحصول على عمل، وبما أن لدي خبرة في صناعة الجبن، نظرت فلم أجد مصانع للجبن العربي في المانيا، في حين يتم استيرادها من الخارج. كان هذا مؤشر كافي للبدء بانتاج الجبن العربي داخل المانيا. ثم ان الجالية العربية اصبحث متواجدة بشكل كبير في المانيا، حتى أن هناك شارعا في برلين يسمى بشارع العرب (Arabische Strasse)، وهي تطلب هذا النوع من الجبن.

في البداية لم يسمح لي بممارسة هذا العمل دون الحصول على شهادة مهنية، حيث تم ادخال متطلبات الزامية قبل حوالي عشر سنوات بضرورة الحصول على شهادة مزاولة المهنة. كانت هذه المشكلة الأكثر صعوبة. فكان علي الانخراط في الدراسة لاكتساب المعرفة والخبرة الالمانيتين. في العادة يتطلب الامر 4 سنوات لكن بما أن هناك مواطنين المان يمارسون هذه المهنة منذ زمن طويل، كان على السلطات ايجاد حل يتمثل بالتحاق اصحاب المهنة من ذوي الخبرة بدورة تدريبية لمدة عدة أيام ومن ثم اجتياز امتحان يتأهل بموجبه المتدرب لممارسة المهنة.

لم يكن الأمر سهلا، كان علي دراسة المصطلحات المستخدمة باللغة الالمانية، قمت باعادة المحاولة، توجب علي الدراسة بجد خلال خمسة ايام بشكل مكثف في الجامعة،...كنت العربي الوحيد الذي التحق بهذه الدورة، وقد حصلت على دعم شريكي الالماني، خاصة لفهم المصطلحات الكيميائية المستخدمة باللغة الالمانية، تكونت لجنة الاختبار من اساتذة جامعيين وكانت الأسئلة غاية في الدقة، وفي النهاية حصلت على الشهادة.

تعلمت اللغة من خلال الممارسة العملية والاختلاط بالسكان المحليين بشكل يومي. وقد باشرت في المشروع بعد عام ونصف من تواجدي في المانيا.

حدثنا عن الصعوبات التي واجهتها لتأسيس مشروعك، كرجل اجنبي أو كلاجيء؟

تمثل التحدي الأول والاكبر في شهادة مزالة المهنة. بعد ذلك هناك مسائل ادارية وتنظيمية تطلب القيام بها للبدء بتشغيل المشروع، والأمر ليس سهلا بشكل عام لان هناك العديد من المتطلبات الواجب القيام بها قبل البدء. وتطرق عبد الجليل ببعض من الفكاهة الى انطباعاته الاولى عندما وصل الى المانيا حيث تعجب من عدم وجود معامل لصنع الجبن العربي، مشيرا الى المتطلبات الصارمة لمزاولة هذه المهنة بالمقارنة مع القوانين المطلبقة في سوريا التي تعتبر مرنة، لكن استطرق بأنه حيث توجد الصعوبات توجد الفرص، وربما لولا ذلك لما كان بامكانه أن يصبح صاحب أول معمل للجبن العربي.

المعوقات التي واجهتني لم ترتبط اساسا بكوني اجنبي، وكانت هناك جوانب تتعلق بشكل خاص بضرورة الحصول على شهادة مزاولة المهنة، لكن كان من الملفت للنظر العوائق الاخرى الفنية واللوجستية التي لم تكن في الحسبان، تتعلق بأسلوب عمل الشركات الالمانية، وقد استغرق الامر وقتا طويلا للقيام بتجهيز المكان بالمعدات والتمديدات اللازمة لتشغيل المشروع، فعلى سبيل المثال انتظرنا حاولي سنة ونصف لتركيب الجهاز الخاص بضخ المياه الساخنة الى الالات.

كما توجب علي تجهيز خطة المشروع، لحسن الحظ هناك العديد من الجهات والجمعيات التي مدت لي يد العون كغرفة التجارة ( Industrie- und Handelskammer - IHK https://www.ihk.de) وملائكة الأعمال (Business Angels) (www.business-angels.de) (شاركنا في مسابقة واحد اثنان ثلاثة هيا بنا) (https://123go-networking.de). وقد تلقيت مساعدة في تجهيز الاوراق اللازمة للحصول على قرض من البنك، بالاضافة الى النصائح الخاصة بكيفية انجاح المشروع من رواد الأعمال الاخرين من ذوي الخبرة في اعداد المشاريع.

نستطيع القول بأن البنك هو المصدر الاساسي لتمويل المشروع؟ هل يشترط توفر رأسمال لدى صاحب المشروع؟

ليس فقط، كان هناك عدة مصادر تمويل. من الضروري توفر رأسمال لدى صاحب المشروع، لكن ليس بالضرورة أن يكون كبيرا، فيمكنك البدء بمبلغ حوالي 25 الف يورو. لكنني استطعت في المحصلة من الحصول على تمويل وصل الى حوالي نصف مليون يورو. كانت مصادر التمويل متعددة تتوزع بين رأسمال شخصي والبنك وملائكة أعمال وحديثا هناك مستثمر خاص انضم الى القافلة، هذا بالاضافة الى العديد من العروض الاخرى من مستثمرين خاصين يرغبون بالاستثمار في المشروع.

وقد نافس المشروع للحصول على تمويل "ملائكة الاعمال" مع ما يقارب 1500 مشروع حيث تم اختياره في المرحلة الاولى ليكون من بين 50 مشروعا اخر، ومن ثم اختير في المرحلة الثانية ليكون من بين 3 مشروعات الاكثر ابداعا. وقد حصل المشروع على التمويل في النهاية، حيث يمنح التمويل بدون ضمانات، على أن يتم اعادته لاحقا.

هل قمت بتأسيس الشركة لوحدك؟

المشروع يحمل صفة شركة محدودة المسؤولية وهو ما سهل المهمة للحصول على قرض من البنك، لانني كلاجيء اتمتع باذن اقامة، لا يمكنني الحصول على قرض من البنك اذا لم يتوفر لدي شركة.

كان لدي شريك الماني منذ البداية... وهي عائلة ريم، صاحبة مزرعة الابقار....هنا رسمنا ابتسامة عريض، وطلبنا من عبد الجليل أن يروي لنا القصة الظريفة التي حدثت وادت الى تأسيس الشراكة مع عائلة رايم... فقد قرانا أنه كان يشتري الحليب من العائلة حين لاحظت أنه يشتري كميات كبيرة نسبيا، مما اثار انتباهها وسألته عن السبب وراء ذلك....

بالتأكيد، لم أكن لاشتري الجبن وأنا أعرف كيفية صناعته، حيث كنت اشتري بكيات كبيرة، مما اثار استغراب العائلة، اذ من غير الممكن أنك تقوم بشرب هذه الكمية من الحليب. فقد كنت اشتري الحليب لاصنعه لاطعام العائلة واقوم بتخزينه.

كان لعائلة ريم دور هام في انجاهح المشروع حيث انها تضطلع بالامور الادارية والتواصل مع الجهات الرسمية فيما اهتم انا بالتصنيع والتسويق وادارة المعمل...أي انها بدور الشريك المحلي لمستثمر اجنبي...

اذن كيف تطورت الامور؟

قمت بسؤالهم في البداية عن امكانية تحضير الجبن لديهم في المزرعة لاسباب تتعلق بالجوانب اللوجستية من المكان والادوات. من هنا جاءت فكرة تصنيع الجبن بكميات تجارية. حيث لم أتخيل أن الامر بهذه الصعوبة، فقد ظننت انه كان من الممكن الحصول على مكان لديهم لتجهيزه من أجل تحضير الجبن... تطور الامر تدريجيا، من تحضير الجبن في مزرعة العائلة الى تسويقها لدى السوق المحلي. حيث قمنا بعمل جولة على أصحاب المحال العربية والتركية للاستفسار حول امكانية شراء الجبن العربي. كان الردود ايجابية بشكل كبير، حيث عبر الكثيرين عن أنهم يستوردون هذا المنتج من فرنسا ولا يوجد مزودين محليين في المانيا... كان هذا حافزا اكبر لشرائي الالمان.... ثم بعد ذلك قمنا بالاستفسار من الجهات الحكومية حول متطلبات تأسيس هذا المشروع، علمنا بضرورة الحصول على شهادة مزاولة مهنة... من هنا توجب علي الالتحاق بدورة مكثفة كما سبق واجتياز امتحان خاص.... علما بأن هذه الدورة تنظم مرة واحدة في العام وتتوافر في ثلاث جامعات فقط.... لقد كانت مفاجأة عندما علم شريكي الألماني بنجاحي في هذه الدورة نظرا لصعوبة الاختبارات التي كانت غاية في الدقة وباللغة الالمانية واستمرت لمدة حوالي الساعة، لحسن الحظ أنها كانت شفهية... والا لما نجحت (يرسم ابتسامة عريضة).

بدأنا الانتاج في البداية بحوالي 300 لتر، ثم رفعنا الكمية الى 500 لتر ثم الى الف، ومن المتوقع ان يتم رفع الطاقة الانتاجية الى 2000 خلال الاسبوع المقبل (اي خلال النصف الثاني من شهر كانون الثاني/يناير)، كما أننا نأمل ان نصل الى مستوى الاربعة الاف لتر خلال الشهرين او الثلاثة القادمين.

يعمل في المصنع حوالي اربعة عمال بشكل دائم ونطمح الى زيادة العدد الى ستة، فيما نحتاج الى تشغيل حوالي عشرة اشخاص كي يصل المعمل الى الطاقة القصوى، نأمل أن يتم ذلك خلال الاشهر القليلة القادمة.

تبقى مسألة التسويق تحدي كبير لاي مشروع، اليس كذلك؟

بالنسبة الي كان التسويق هو المرحلة الاكثر سهولة... حيث قمنا بسؤال المحال التجارية كما سبق، وكون أن المنتج متوفر اساسا في السوق، كان لا بد ايضا من توفير منتج عالي الجودة. كما يتوفر لدي الخبرة في التسويق والتجارة منذ كنت في مصر، حيث كنت تاجرا للالبسة.

وهناك العديد من الزبائن من العرب والاتراك بشكل اساسي، لكن الالمان يقبلون شيئا فشيئا على شراء منتوجاتنا، هناك عدة محال كبيرة تشتري منا مثل ريفي الشهير (REWE Markt) الذي يشتري بكميات كبيرة. نقوم بالتصدير كذلك، لكن نقتصر حاليا على دول الاتحاد الاوروبي كالسويد بشكل اساسي وفرنسا والنمسا وانجلترا، نظرا لتواجد جالية عربية فيها بالطبع.

عرفنا أنك حصلت على جائزة، هل يمكن أن تحدثنا عنها؟

في سياق المنافسة التي تنظمها دائرة الدائرة المختصة بالحليب والاجبان والالبان في المانيا ( Verband für handwerkliche Milchverarbeitung im ökologischen Landbau = VHM) التي تنظم في ميونخ، حصلنا على جائزة (Publikumspreis de VHM) لاحدى منتجاتنا (جبنة سوروكي sourki) وهي مزيج من الجبن العربي والالماني، حيث تنافسنا مع الاف انواع الجبن ولم اكن اتوقع أن احصل على الجائزة... يعتمد التقييم على المذاق والفوائد الموجودة في المنتج ... وفي سؤاله حول المواد التي تدخل في صناعة هذا النوع من الجبن... لم يكن غريبا وجود اعشاب تقليدية عربية في صناعة هذا النوع وخاصة الحبة السوداء المعروفة بفوائدها الصحية كما اكد لنا.

ما هي أنواع الجبن التي يتم تصنيعها في المعمل؟

بشكل عام كل أنواع الجبن العربي. ابتداءا من الجبن البلدي والعكاوي والمسنرة والمشللة وحلوم والسمن العربي والقريشة والسوركي... وعند سؤاله حول الفرق بين كل هذه الانواع اجاب بأن هناك فرقا كبيرا بينها... ولا يوجد تقارب بينها كما هو الحال في الجبن الالماني... ولاعطاء مزيد من التوضيح، فان الجبنة المشللة هي جبنة مطبوخة يتم طبخها ثم تجديلها. وبخصوص طريقة تحضير الجبن، افاد بأنه مزيج من الطريقة العربية والالمانية... حيث نحصل على جبنة عربية بمواصفات المانية... ويتميز الامر هنا بطريقة التعقيم او البسترة التي تمتاز بأنها اكثر صرامة، لأن الالات المستخدمة توفر معايير عالية وتلقائية.

رأينا على موقعك الالكتروني جهات عدة داعمة للمشروع؟ كيف حصلت على دعمها؟

لاند اوف شوانغ (Land Auf Schwung) وهي مؤسسة تعنى بدعم المشاريع الزراعية، وتقدم تمويل بدون اعادة، حيث حصلنا على مبلغ حوالي خمسين الف يورو... وذلك مؤشر على نوعية المشروع.

ذكر لنا رائدنا تجربته مع مؤسسة ملائكة الاعمال التي تقدم تمويلا للمشروعات المتميزة، وكيف كان شعوره امام لجنة تقييم المشروعات حيث يتعرض فيها رائد المشروع الى اختبارات صعبة وكم كبير من الاسئلة التي تستوجب اجابات محددة وواضحة... مضيفا انه توجب عليه مواجهة مئات الاسئلة للتأكد من ان المشروع يصلح من الناحية التجارية.

ما هي النصيحة التي تعطيها لشخص ما يريد السير على خطاك لكي يصبح رائد أعمال؟

بشكل عام يتوجب على رائد الاعمال ان يتحلى بالصبر والاصرار، فقد رأيت كثير ممن حاولوا القيام بالمشاريع الذين تراجعوا عند أول عائق... فعلى رائد الاعمال أن يتجهز لمواجهة عدد لا ينتهي من العوائق.. مضيفا أنه ما زال يواجه العوائق بالرغم من النجاحات التي حققها المشروع...ولا سبيل دون مواجهة التحديات... مؤكدا أنه كاجنبي يعيش في المانيا يشعر بحافز اضافي للوصول الى النجاح لتغيير الصورة النمطية حول الاجانب في اوروبا... منوها الى التزامه منذ البداية بالبحث الجاد للحصول على عمل مهما كانت طبيعته، لكن اللغة الالمانية شكلت العائق الاساسي للحصول على وظيفة، مضيفا أن هذا كان ربما حافزا اخر للعمل على فكرة المشروع.

ما هي الأسعار للمستهلك النهائي وحجم مبيعاتك إن أمكن؟

تختلف الاسعار باختلاف نوع الجبن، وتتراوح للمستهلك النهائي بين 9 يورو للكيغرام الواحد للجبن البلدي وبين 15 الى 16 يورو للجبنة المشللة والسمن العربي. بخصوص المبيعات لا يمكن اعطاء ارقام محددة، لكن يمكن القول بأن المبيعات تغطي التكاليف التي تتوزع بين تكاليف ثابتة تصل الى حوالي 13 الف يورو، وتكلفة شراء الحليب التي تصل الى حوالي 16 الف يورور شهريا.

ما هي التحديات الرئيسية للمشروع وما هي النظرة المستقبلية؟

بالنظر الى النجاح الذي لقيه المشروع والتوسع في الانتاج تعتبر محدودية الحليب التي نحصل عليه احدى المعوقات التي نواجهها في الوقت الحالي. وعند سؤاله عن امكانية شراء الحليب من مزرعة اخرى، .. قال بأن الامر ليس بالسهولة... لان مزارع الابقار تلتزم باتفاقات توزيع مع شركات أخرى لعدة سنوات.

وفيما يتعلق بالنظرة المستقبلية، نتطلع الى بناء مصنع اخر يتمتع بطاقة انتاجية اكبر خلال الفترة القريبة القادمة ان شاء الله.

أخيرا، كان لدى عبد الجليل خيبة أمل من الصحافة العربية التي لم تولي مشروعه التغطية الملائمة في الوقت الذي حصل على تغطية واسعة من وسائل الاعلام الالمانية المقروءة والمسموعة والمرئية خاصة وأنه يشكل مثالا ناجحا لاندماج اللاجئين السوريين في المجتمع الألماني.

في الختام، نفهم من التفاصيل الخاصة بقصة النجاح هذه بأن التحديات التي يواجهها اللاجؤون كانت سببا لخوض التجربة والمضي قدما في أنجاز المشروع وتحقيق نجاحات كبيرة.

عنوان المعمل وموقع الانترنت الخاص بشام سار (اسم مشتق من الشام، وسار: هو اسم المنطقة الالمانية):

CHAM SAAR GmbH, Lebacher Str. 46, 66557 Illingen-Wustweiler

https://www.chamsaar.de/

الجهات التي تقدم الدعم للمشاريع الريادية

• Industrie- und Handelskammer – IHK: ihk.de"
• icunet: icunet.ag"
• Business Angels: business-angels.de"

(English)  (العربية)

Es war ein eisiger Tag, als wir nach Deutschland fuhren, um uns mit dem Milchtechnologen Abduljalil Saymoa in seiner Käserei in Illingen, 200 Kilometer nordwestlich von Stuttgart, der berühmten Stadt der Automobilindustrie, zu treffen. Während unserer Reise waren die Städte sehr ruhig, aber sie schimmerten vor Licht und hellen Farben, um das neue Jahr zu feiern. Es war interessant zu sehen, welche kreativen und lustigen Wege die Einheimischen gefunden haben, Pflanzen vor der bitteren Kälte zu schützen, indem sie manchmal bunte Anzüge und rote Mützen verwendeten, oder goldene Gürtel anlegten. Trotz der niedrigen Temperaturen zu dieser Jahreszeit und der trüben Atmosphäre freuten wir uns auf den Besuch der ersten Anlage Deutschlands, die diese Art von Käse herstellt, die von den deutschen Bürgern gut angenommen wird und sogar den Käsepreis gewonnen hat.

Schon bei unserer Ankunft in der Käserei war klar, dass das Interesse an dem Projekt groß war, insbesondere bei Händlern der arabischen Gemeinschaft, die verschiedene Sorten arabischen Käses kaufen wollten.

Nachdem wir die Käserei besichtigt hatten, fuhren wir mit Abdul Saymoa, der hinter der Idee steht, die Fabrik zu gründen, zu dem Bauernhof, der ihm die Milch für den Käse liefert. Es gibt etwa 90 Kühe. Der Landwirt erklärte uns, dass die Kühe in mehreren Ställen aufgeteilt sind: Melkkühe, Trächtige Kühe, Rinder und Kälber. Die gemolkenen Kühe bekommen Kraftfutter und Mineralien zugemischt, die Kühe in der Ruhephase werden nur mit Gras, Heu und Mais gefüttert. Wir sprachen auch über die Unterschiede der Tierhaltung zwischen der Schweiz und Deutschland, wobei die Schweiz ein strengeres System verfolgt.

Abdul Saymoa verließ Syrien Ende 2011 Richtung Ägypten, wo er bis 2014 blieb. Auf der Suche nach einem besseren Leben machte er sich auf die gefährliche Reise nach Europa. Zusammen mit etwa 400 Personen überquerte er in Flüchtlingsbooten das Mittelmeer. Die Überfahrt nach Italien dauerte etwa 14 Tage, währenddessen Menschen vor seinen Augen ertranken. Danach setzte er seine Reise nach Deutschland fort, um sich schließlich in der Stadt Illingen niederzulassen, wo er sein heutiges Geschäft gründete: Die Cham Saar GmbH, Morgenland im Saarland.

Im Folgenden finden Sie den Text unseres Interviews mit dem Unternehmer Abdul Saymoa.

Warum haben Sie sich für das Projekt der Käseproduktion entschieden? Hat das etwas mit Ihrer Arbeit in Syrien zu tun?

Ja, ich habe in Syrien in diesem Bereich gearbeitet, und dies war auch eine Auswirkung der Schwierigkeit, einen Job zu bekommen. Ich habe Erfahrung in der Käseindustrie, und ich fand in Deutschland keine Fabriken für arabischen Käse. Er wurde nur importiert. Das reichte aus, um in Deutschland mit der Produktion von arabischem Käse zu beginnen. Die arabische Gemeinschaft ist auch in Deutschland eine große Gemeinschaft und in Berlin gibt es sogar eine „Arabische Straße“. Diese große Gemeinschaft wünscht sich diese Art von Käse.

Ich durfte diese Arbeit nicht ohne ein professionelles Zertifikat beginnen. Nach einer Regel, die vor 10 Jahren festgelegt wurde, musste ich mich für einen Facharbeiterbrief bewerben. Das war das schwierigste Problem. In der Regel dauert die Ausbildung zum Milchtechnologen 4 Jahre, aber die Behörden haben dieses Verfahren vereinfacht, indem sie eine Schulung von fünf Tagen einführten, nach der eine Prüfung abgelegt wird, woraufhin der Beruf ausgeübt werden kann.

Es ist zu beachten, dass dieser Kurs nur einmal im Jahr organisiert wird und nur an drei Universitäten verfügbar ist. Es war nicht einfach. Ich musste während der fünf Tage an der Universität hart lernen. Ich war der einzige Araber, der diesen Kurs besuchte. Ich hatte die Unterstützung meines deutschen Partners, insbesondere beim Verständnis der chemischen Fachsprache im Deutschen. Der Prüfungsausschuss bestand aus Universitätsprofessoren.

Mein deutscher Partner war überrascht, dass ich angesichts der Schwierigkeit der sehr spezifischen Prüfung, die etwa eine Stunde dauerte, und auf Deutsch abgehalten wurde, bestanden habe. Glücklicherweise war sie mündlich.

Erzählen Sie uns von den Schwierigkeiten, die Sie hatten, um Ihr Projekt zu verwirklichen, als Ausländer oder als Flüchtling.

Die Schwierigkeiten, mit denen ich konfrontiert war, bezogen sich nicht hauptsächlich darauf, Ausländer zu sein. Die erste und größte Herausforderung war das Berufszertifikat. Dann gibt es noch administrative und organisatorische Aufgaben, die man erledigen muss, um das Projekt zu starten, und das ist im Allgemeinen nicht einfach, da es viele Anforderungen sind. Im Vergleich zu den Gesetzen in Syrien, sind die Anforderungen an die Ausübung dieses Berufs in Deutschland viel strenger. Sonst wäre ich wahrscheinlich nicht der erste Eigentümer einer arabischen Käserei geworden.

Bemerkenswert war jedoch, dass technische und logistische Einschränkungen von einigen deutschen Unternehmen nicht berücksichtigt wurden, weswegen sich die Installationen der für den Betrieb erforderlichen Ausrüstungen und Erweiterungen verzögerte. Zum Beispiel haben wir anderthalb Jahre gewartet, bis das Gerät zum Pumpen von heißem Wasser zu den Maschinen (Heatson) installiert werden konnte.

Ich musste auch an dem Businessplan arbeiten, aber zum Glück gibt es viele Organisationen und Verbände, die mir geholfen haben. Zum Beispiel die Industrie- und Handelskammer – IHK, oder das Netzwerk "Business Angels“, dem wir beigetreten sind. Ich habe Hilfe bei der Bearbeitung der notwendigen Unterlagen erhalten, um ein Darlehen von der Bank zu erhalten. Darüber hinaus erhielt ich von anderen Business-Pionieren mit Erfahrung im Projektmanagement Tipps, wie man das Projekt erfolgreich macht.

War die Bank die wichtigste Förderquelle für das Projekt? Ist für das Projekt eigenes Kapital erforderlich?

Nicht nur die Bank, es gab mehrere Förderquellen. Das Kapital ist für den Eigentümer notwendig, aber der benötigte Betrag ist nicht unbedingt sehr hoch, da man mit etwa 25.000 Euro beginnen kann. Allerdings konnte ich eine Finanzierung von rund einer halben Million Euro erhalten. Die verschiedenen Förderquellen waren persönliches Kapital, ein Bankkredit und die Organisation Business Angels. Seit kurzem ist neben vielen anderen Angeboten von Privatinvestoren, die in das Projekt investieren wollen, auch ein Privatinvestor mit eingestiegen.

Das Projekt hat sich unter rund 1.500 Projekten um die Finanzierung von dem "eins zwei drei go" Wettbewerb beworben. Es wurde in der ersten Phase unter 50 weiteren Projekten ausgewählt und in der zweiten Phase als eines der drei innovativsten Projekte erkoren. Das Projekt erhielt schließlich eine Finanzierung, als „Finanzierung ohne Sicherheiten“, die später zurückbezahlt werden muss.

Haben Sie das Unternehmen selbst gegründet?

Das Projekt ist eine Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, was es mir erleichtert hat, einen Kredit von der Bank zu bekommen. Da ich eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis als Flüchtling habe, kann ich kein Darlehen von der Bank erhalten, wenn ich kein Unternehmen habe.

Ich hatte von Anfang an einen deutschen Partner, Familie Riehm, die Besitzer des Bauernhofs, die ich kennenlernte, als ich bei ihnen Milch kaufte um für meine Familie Käse herzustellen. Ich erregte ihre Aufmerksamkeit weil es relativ große Mengen waren: „Du kannst nicht so viel Milch trinken“ sagten sie. Ich antwortete: „Ich kaufe keinen Käse, ich stelle ihn selber her.“

Familie Riehm hat eine wichtige Rolle in dem Projekt, da sie für die administrativen Angelegenheiten und die Kommunikation mit der Regierung verantwortlich ist. Ich konzentriere mich auf die Herstellung, Vermarktung und das Management der Käserei. Sie fungieren als lokaler Partner eines ausländischen Investors.

Und wie haben sich die Dinge entwickelt?

Zuerst fragte ich sie nach der Möglichkeit, den Käse auf ihrem Bauernhof zuzubereiten, aus logistischen Gründen wie Platz und Werkzeugen. Daraus entstand die Idee, Käse in Handelsmengen herzustellen. Ich hielt es nicht für so schwierig. Ich dachte, es wäre möglich, einen Platz auf ihrem Bauernhof zu bekommen, um den Käse zuzubereiten. Von der Herstellung des Käses im Familienbetrieb bis zur Vermarktung auf dem lokalen Markt entwickelte sich das Unternehmen nach und nach. Wir trafen uns mit arabischen und türkischen Ladenbesitzer und sprachen über die Möglichkeit, ihnen arabischen Käse zu liefern. Die Reaktionen waren sehr positiv, da dieser Käse bisher aus Frankreich importiert wurde und es in Deutschland keine lokalen Lieferanten gab. Wir waren überzeugt, dass auch die Deutschen den Käse kaufen würden.

Wir haben die Produktion mit ca. 300 Litern begonnen. Wir haben dann die Menge auf 500 Liter und danach auf 1.000 Liter erhöht. Die Produktionskapazität wird voraussichtlich in der nächsten Woche (in der zweiten Januarhälfte) auf 2.000 erhöht. Wir hoffen auch, in den nächsten zwei bis drei Monaten das Niveau von 4000 Litern zu erreichen.

Die feste Anzahl der Mitarbeiter in der Fabrik beträgt vier Mitarbeiter, und wir hoffen, die Zahl auf sechs zu erhöhen, wobei wir etwa zehn Mitarbeiter einstellen müssten, um die maximale Kapazität der Anlage zu erreichen und wir hoffen, dies in den nächsten Monaten zu erreichen.

Das Marketing bleibt eine große Herausforderung für jedes Projekt, ist das nicht so?

Für mich war das Marketing der einfachste Teil, da wir schon vor der Gründung Kontakt zu den Geschäften aufgenommen hatten. Ich hatte Erfahrung in Marketing und Handel, weil ich in Ägypten ein Kleidergeschäft hatte.

Da das Produkt schon auf dem Markt erhältlich war, war es notwendig, ein qualitativ hochwertiges Produkt anzubieten.

Es gibt viele Kunden, vor allem Araber und Türken, aber auch die Deutschen kaufen nach und nach unsere Produkte. Es gibt mehrere große Geschäfte, die bei uns einkaufen, wie z.B. der REWE Markt, der unsere Produkte in großen Mengen einkauft. Wir exportieren auch, aber wir sind derzeit auf EU-Länder wie Schweden (hauptsächlich), Frankreich, Österreich und England beschränkt. Dies wird natürlich durch die Präsenz arabischer Gemeinschaften ermöglicht.

Sie haben einen Preis bekommen, könnten Sie uns davon erzählen?

Im Rahmen des in München stattfindenden Wettbewerbs des Verbandes für handwerkliche Milchverarbeitung im ökologischen Landbau "VHM" erhielten wir für eines unserer Produkte "Surki-Käse", eine Mischung aus arabischem und deutschem Käse, den Preis "VHM Publikumspreis".

Wir konkurierten mit Tausenden von Käsesorten und ich hatte nicht damit gerechnet, die Auszeichnung zu erhalten. Die Bewertung hängt sowohl vom Geschmack als auch vom Nutzen des Produkts ab. Der Surki-Käse ist ein Frischkäse und enthält traditionelle arabische Kräuter und Gewürze, insbesondere Schwarzkümmel, der für seine gesundheitlichen Vorteile bekannt ist.

Welche Käsesorten werden in der Anlage hergestellt?

Hauptsächlich alle Arten von arabischem Käse. Angefangen bei Baladia-Käse, Akkawi, Almznrh, Chalali, Haloum, arabischem Ghee, Quraishah und Sourki. Es gibt große Unterschiede zwischen den verschiedenen Sorten, sie liegen nicht nahe beieinander, wie es beim deutschen Käse der Fall ist. Zur weiteren Verdeutlichung: Der Chalali-Käse zum Beispiel, ist ein Käse, der gekocht und dann strangartig geformt wird. Es handelt sich um eine Mischung aus arabischem und deutschem Rezept, bei der der arabische Käse nach deutschen Vorgaben hergestellt wird. Das Verfahren zeichnet sich durch eine strengere Sterilisation oder Pasteurisation aus, da die eingesetzten Maschinen hohe Standards erfüllen und automatisch arbeiten.

Wir haben auf Ihrer Website gesehen, dass das Projekt von verschiedenen Institutionen unterstützt wird. Wie wirkt sich diese Unterstützung aus?

LandAufSchwung ist, ein Förderverein für landwirtschaftliche Betriebe, der Projekte ohne Rückzahlung finanziert. Wir haben rund 50.000 Euro erhalten, was die Qualität des Projekts unterstreicht.

Der Verein "Business Angels" fördert Start-ups. Allerdings stellen sie spezifische und klare Anforderungen. Ich musste Hunderte von Fragen beantworten, um zu beweisen, dass das Projekt wirtschaftlich tragfähig ist.

Welchen Rat würden Sie jemandem geben, der Ihrem Schritt zum Unternehmer folgen möchte?

Im Allgemeinen muss jeder Unternehmer geduldig und hartnäckig sein. Viele Syrier haben versucht, Projekte zu verwirklichen, aber sie haben aufgegeben, als sie vor der ersten Herausforderung standen. Man muss bereit sein, auf eine Vielzahl von Hindernissen zu stoßen, wenn man bedenkt, dass ich trotz der Erfolge des Projekts immer noch auf Schwierigkeiten stoße. Die Tatsache, dass ich als Ausländer in Deutschland lebe, motiviert mich zusätzlich. Ich möchte das Klischee der Ausländer in Europa ändern. Ich engagierte mich von Anfang an, ernsthaft Arbeit jeglicher Art zu suchen und zu bekommen. Die deutsche Sprache war am Anfang das Haupthindernis für einen Job, was mich vielleicht inspiriert hatte, mein eigenes Projekt zu starten.

Wie sind die Preise für den Endverbraucher und das Volumen Ihrer Verkäufe?

Die Preise variieren je nach Käsesorte. Sie reichen von 9 € pro Kilogramm für Baladia-Käse bis hin zu 15 bis 16 € für Chalali und Samn-Käse. Der Umsatz kann nicht mit konkreten Zahlen angegeben werden, aber er deckt die Kosten, seien es Fixkosten von rund 13.000 Euro und die Kosten für den Milcheinkauf von rund 16.000 Euro pro Monat.

Was sind die Hauptherausforderungen des Projekts und was sind die Zukunftsaussichten?

Angesichts des Erfolgs des Projekts und der Ausweitung der Produktion ist die begrenzte Milchmenge, die wir erhalten, eines der Hindernisse, mit denen wir derzeit konfrontiert sind. Auch Milch von einem anderen Betrieb zu kaufen, wäre nicht einfach, denn die Betriebe sind mehrere Jahre an Vertriebsvereinbarungen mit anderen Unternehmen gebunden.

Im Hinblick auf die Zukunftsaussichten freuen wir uns darauf, in naher Zukunft eine weitere Fabrik mit einer höheren Produktionskapazität zu bauen, so Gott will.

Schließlich zeigt sich Abdul Saymoa enttäuscht über die arabische Presse, deren Berichterstattung das Projekt nicht ausreichend würdigt. Im Vergleich dazu erhielt es eine breite Berichterstattung aus den deutschen

Print-, Audio- und Videomedien. Vor allem, weil es ein gelungenes Beispiel für die Integration syrischer Flüchtlinge in die deutsche Gesellschaft ist.

Zusammenfassend erzählt Abdul Saymoas Geschichte, wie Erfahrung, Zielstrebigkeit und Zusammenarbeit das Projekt zum Erfolg geführt haben.

Adresse und Website der Fabrik:

CHAM SAAR GmbH, Lebacher Str. 46, 66557 Illingen-Wustweiler www.chamsaar.de

Institutionen, die Unternehmer unterstützen

• Industrie- und Handelskammer - IHK ihk.de"
• icunet: icunet.ag
• Business Angels: business-angels.de

(German)  (العربية)

It was an icy day when we drove to Germany to meet with the business pioneer Abduljalil Saymoa at his lab in Illingen, 200 km northwest of Stuttgart, the famous city of the automotive industry. During our trip the European cities were very quiet, yet they were shimmering with lights and bright colors celebrating the New Year. It was interesting to find out the creative and fun ways the locals invented in order to protect the ornamental flowers from the bitter cold using brightly colored suits and red caps at times, or at other times covering them with cloth and putting golden belts on them. Despite the low temperature at this time of the year and the cloudy sky, we were excited to visit the first plant in Germany that produces a kind of cheese, which is well received by German citizens, and even won an award.

From the moment we arrived at the factory, it was clear that there was great interest in the project, especially among the Arab community traders who wanted to buy different varieties of Arabic cheese.

After visiting the factory, we took the car with our cheese pioneer to tour the cowshed which was behind the idea of ​​establishing the factory. There are about 90 head of cattle. It was divided into several barns (pregnant cows, milking cows, and small calves). We have also talked to cattle breeders about how they manage to take care of the cows and the differences in cattle breeding between Switzerland and Germany, where Switzerland follows a more stringent system. The following is the text of our interview with the entrepreneur Abdul Saymoa.

For starters, tell us about your journey from Syria to Germany.

I left Syria at the end of 2011 to Egypt where I stayed until 2014 searching for a better life. We were about 400 people traveling on boats and it took us 14 days before we reached Italy. I saw people drowning in the boats of death in front of my eyes. After arriving to Italy, I continued my journey to Germany to finally settle in the city of Illingen, where I founded my current business….

There it was amazing to meet one of the people who got on the “refugees boats”, the boats that soon turn into floating tombs that are then swollen by the waves of the Mediterranean. We told him that those observations deserve to be documented in a book to recount the horrors of this journey.

The question that comes to mind is why choose a cheese production project? Is it related to your work in Syria?

Yes, I worked in this field in Syria, and it was also a result of the difficulty of obtaining a job. I have experience in the cheese industry, and I did not find factories for Arab cheese in Germany. It was only imported. This was enough to start producing Arab cheese in Germany. The Arab community is also a big community in Germany, and there is even a street in Berlin called ‘Arabische Strasse’. This large community desires this kind of cheese.

In the beginning I was not allowed to start working without a professional certificate. According to a rule that was laid down 10 years ago, I was required to apply for the profession certificate. This was the most challenging problem. I had to study to gain German knowledge and experience. Usually, it takes 4 years, but since there are German citizens who have been practicing this profession for a long time, the authorities had to find a solution by bringing experienced professionals to a training course for a few days and then passing an exam whereupon the trainee will be able to practice the profession.

It was not easy, I had to study German terminology. I had to study hard during the five days in the university. I was the only Arab who took this course. I had the support of my German partner, especially in understanding the chemical terminology used in German. The test committee was composed of university professors. The questions were very precise and in the end I got the certificate.

I learned German language through practice and daily life with natives. I started the project after a year and a half after arriving in Germany.

Tell us about the difficulties you faced to establish your project, as a foreign man or as a refugee.

The first and biggest challenge was the professional certificate. Then there are administrative and organizational tasks that you need to complete in order to start the project, and that is not generally easy because there are many requirements to be completed before starting. The difficulties I faced were not mainly related to being a foreigner, and there were aspects related specifically to the need to obtain a certificate to practice the profession. However, it was remarkable that other technical and logistical obstacles were not taken into consideration regarding the way German companies worked. It took a long time to obtain the equipment and extensions necessary to run the project. For example, we waited a year and a half to install the device to pump hot water to the machines.

I also had to work on the project plan. Fortunately, there are many organizations and associations that have helped me such as Chamber of Commerce "Industrie- und Handelskammer - IHK www.ihk.de" and "Business Angels: www.business-angels.de" we also joined "one two-three competition: https://123g-networking.de" I have received assistance in processing the necessary papers to obtain a loan from the bank. In addition to that I also received tips on how to make the project successful from other business pioneers with experience in managing projects.

Can we say that the bank was the main source of funding for the project? Is capital required for the project owner?

Not only the bank, there were several sources of funding. The capital is necessary for the owner, but the amount needed is not necessarily large, as you can start with about 25 thousand euros. Though, I was able to get financing of about half a million euros. The multiple funding sources were personal capital, a bank loan, and the Business Angels organization. Recently, a private investor joined us, in addition to many other offers from private investors who wish to invest in the project.

The project has competed for the financing of "Business Angels" with approximately 1,500 projects. It was selected in the first phase to be among 50 other projects, and was selected in the second phase as one of the three most innovative projects. The project eventually received financing, as funding without collateral requirements, to be returned later.

Have you founded the company on your own?

The project is a limited liability company, which made it easier for me to get a loan from the bank. Because as a refugee I have a residence permit, therefore, I cannot get a loan from the bank if I do not have a company.

I had a German partner from the beginning, Riehm's family, the owner of the cattle farm. Sure, I would not buy cheese while I know how to make it. I bought big quantities, which surprised the family. You cannot drink that much milk. I was buying milk to make it to feed the family, and also to store it.

Riehm’s family plays an important role in the project, as it is responsible for the administrative matters and communication with the government. I was focusing on manufacturing, marketing and managing the plant. It plays the role of the local partner of a foreign investor.

So how did things evolve?

At first I asked them about the possibility of preparing the cheese at their farm for reasons related to logistics aspects such as the place and tools. Consequently, came the idea of ​​manufacturing cheese in trading quantities. I did not think it was so difficult. I thought it was possible to get a place at their farm to prepare the cheese. It gradually evolved from preparing the cheese in the family farm to marketing it in the local market. We were meeting and asking Arab and Turkish shops owners about the possibility of buying Arab cheese. The responses were very positive, as many expressed that they were importing that cheese from France and there were no local suppliers in Germany. This was a great motivation for the Germans to buy too. Then we asked government agencies about the requirements for establishing this project, we learned about the need to obtain a certificate of practicing a profession. That was when I had to attend the intensive course and already passed the special exam. Note that this session is organized once a year and available in only three universities. It was a surprise for my German partner that I passed considering the difficulty of the tests, which were very specific, in German, and lasted for about an hour, but luckily they were oral.

We started production with about 300 liters. We then raised the quantity to 500 liters and after that to 1,000. The production capacity is expected to be raised to 2,000 during the next week (during the second half of January). We also hope to reach the level of 4000 liters in the next two or three months.

The permanent number of employees in the factory are about four workers and we hope to increase the number to six, while we need to hire about ten people to reach the plant's maximum capacity, and we hope to do so in the next few months.

Marketing remains a big challenge for any project. Does this apply to yours?

For me, marketing was the easiest part. As we asked the shops before starting, and while the product was mainly available in the market, it was also necessary to provide a high quality product. I also had my experience in marketing and trading since I was in Egypt, where I had my business in selling clothes.

There are many customers, mainly Arabs and Turks, while the Germans are gradually buying our products. There are several large shops that buy from us, such as the famous REWE Markt, which buys our products in large quantities. We are also exporting, but we are currently limited to EU countries such as Sweden (mainly), France, Austria and England. This is given the presence of Arab communities of course.

We knew you received an award, could you tell us about it?

In the context of the competition organized by the Association for Artisanal Dairy Products in Organic Farming "Verband für handwerkliche Milchverarbeitung im ökologischen Landbau = VHM", which is held in Munich, we received the "Publikumspreis de VHM" Prize for one of our products "Surki cheese", a mixture of Arabic and German cheese.

Where we competed with thousands of cheeses and I did not expect to get the award . The evaluation depends on the taste as well as the benefits of the product.

What types of cheeses are being produced in the plant?

Mainly all kinds of Arabic cheese. Starting with Baladia cheese, Akkawi, Almznrh, Chalali, Haloum, Arabian ghee, Quraishah and sourki…To give further clarification, the Chalali cheese for example is a cheese that is cooked then shaped like strands. As for how to prepare the cheese, he said that it is a mixture of Arabic and German recipe, where Arabic cheese is made with German specifications. The process is distinctive by sterilization or pasteurization, which is more stringent, because the machines used provide high standards and work automatically.

Your project gets from different institutions? How did you get that support?

Land Auf Schwung, an agricultural enterprise support organization, provides funding without re-payment, where we received about 50,000 euros, which indicates the quality of the project.

He also mentioned the role of "econets", an association of the European Union to support young entrepreneurs, and provides advisory services for the success of projects.

Our business leader also told us his experience with the "Business Angels" Foundation, which provides funding for outstanding projects and how he felt about the project evaluation committee. This is where the owner of the project is subjected to difficult tests and a large number of questions that require specific and clear answers. He said that he answered hundreds of questions to prove the project is commercially viable.

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow your steps to become a business entrepreneur?

In general, the entrepreneur must be patient and persistent. I have seen many of those who tried to carry out projects, but they gave up when faced with the first challenge. The entrepreneur must be ready to face an endless number of obstacles, considering that he still faces difficulties despite the success of the project. He also stressed that the fact that he's a foreigner who lives in Germany gives him extra motivation to reach success. He desires to change the stereotype of foreigners in Europe. He mentioned his big commitment from the very beginning to seriously find and obtain work of any nature. He admitted that German language was the main obstacle to get a job in the beginning, saying that maybe that inspired him to start his own project.

What are the prices for the final consumer and the volume of your sales if possible?

Prices vary depending on the type of cheese. They range from € 9 per kilogram for Baladia cheese to between € 15 and € 16 for Chalali and Samn cheese. Sales volumes can not be given specific figures, but sales can be said to cover costs whether fixed costs of around 13,000 euros and the cost of milk purchases of about 16,000 euros per month.

What are the main challenges of the project and what is the future outlook?

Given the success of the project and the expansion of production, the limited milk we receive is one of the obstacles we face at the moment. When asked about the possibility of buying milk from another farm, he said it was not easy, because cattle farms are committed to distribution agreements with other companies for several years.

With regard to the future outlook, we look forward to building another factory with a higher production capacity in the near future, God willing.

Finally, Abdul expressed disappointment with the Arab press, whose coverage did not adequately cover the project. While by comparison it received wide coverage from the German print, audio and visual media. Especially by being a successful example of the integration of Syrian refugees into German society.

In conclusion, this story of success tells us a lot about the challenges faced by refugees and how they have been a reason for experimenting and moving forward with the project and achieving great successes.

The address of the factory and the website of Sham Sar "Sham is the Levant, and Saar is the German region"

CHAM SAAR GmbH, Lebacher Str. 46, 66557 Illingen-Wustweiler https://www.chamsaar.de

Institutions which give support to entrepreneurs

• Industrie- und Handelskammer - IHK ihk.de
• icunet: icunet.ag
• Business Angels: www.business-angels.de

العربية English  French German

نلتقي رائدة الاعمال السويسرية من أصل سوري، رانيا كنج، في مقر جمعية "صناعة نسائية" التي تحوي منتجاتها اليدوية "أنا أحب سوريا" في قلب مدينة جنيف. في هذا الديكور الذي يزخر بالالوان الزاهية، والتصاميم المزركشة، نستعرض رحلتها الشيقة والمثرية.

العربية English  French German

We meet Rania Kinge in her jewellery and accessories shop "I love Syria" in the heart of Geneva. In this highly colourful setting, in the image of its creator, we evoke the committed career path of the energetic Swiss Syrian-Socialist entrepreneur.

S.A.E. : How did you become an entrepreneur?

R.K. : I left Syria at the age of 6 months. Following my father who was a diplomat, I lived in Switzerland, New York and Paris, where I studied in international institutions. After studying business management, I started my career with a company specializing in management systems in Geneva. While in New York, I once fell in admiration for Swarovski pearls displayed in a store. Fascinated, I bought a lot of them. And that's how I started creating my own jewellery and opened my shop in Geneva.

Then I tried to increase my production. That's when my father said to me, "Give Syria a chance. Damascus and Aleppo have very good craftsmen". He was right. In 2001, I started to collaborate with these craftsmen by exporting their products, such as Aleppo silk scarves. Then I opened my own workshop in Damascus, and hired 12 employees. My creations were sold abroad, in chic department stores like Harvey Nichols or luxury boutiques, especially in Geneva. I was reaching a very specialized niche market. Unfortunately, the differences in culture, values and business ethics in Syria eventually affected production and business relations and I decided to close the shop.

It was the war that made me resume an entrepreneurial activity in Syria and launch the "I Love Syria" brand in 2012, with the aim of helping those who had lost everything. Our creations are entirely made by women displaced by war. Eight at first, they are now 100, spread over several cities across the country. Our products are sold online on the international market. We are the first social enterprise in Syria. It is also totally independent, which is unprecedented in this country.

S.A.E. : You define yourself as a social enterprise. What is your business model?

K.R. : The social enterprise business model is gradually spreading in France, Belgium, Switzerland and the United States, but it does not exist in Syrian law. My company is therefore registered as a non-governmental organization that uses trade to finance itself (in Syria the company is registered as a limited liability company (LLC)).                                                                 

Most women I work with have no previous skills or even education. We offer them a three-month training course, followed by piecework pay, based on the individual monthly production that determines the selling price. For example, for every 4 to 5 handbags made in a month, they receive $200 to $250, 4 times more than the current average wage in Syria. For sale, as any commercial transaction is currently impossible in Syria, our products are sold on the international market, thanks to e-commerce. Our objective is to be able to finance ourselves completely through sales. But we did not reach the breakeven at the moment.

S.A.E. : How did you come up with the idea of the brand "I love Syria", and why fashion accessories?

K.R. : Given the circumstances in which I wanted to operate, the production had to take place without electricity because electricity supply in Syria suffers serious problems. The manufacturing techniques also had to be simple enough to be taught in a few days. I then thought of bracelets braided and decorated with pearls and inspired by the memory of Broadway's tourist stalls covered in I love NY products, I imagined the I Love SY line. The brand would use the Syrian national flag as a logo, symbol of the unity of Syria before the war.

I presented my idea to women in a displaced persons' camp by offering them the opportunity to try, with this project, to earn enough money to leave the camp, rent an apartment, put their children back in school and resume their lives. Several of them have decided to follow me. Fearing that I would be drawn into corruption problems, I declined the proposal to share the premises of the organizations managing the camps. So I transformed my apartment in Damascus into a production workshop.

Eight women started working there, despite the difficulties of crossing the many checkpoints. It was also difficult for me because I had to interact with people who were extremely indoctrinated. But we persevered. We then rented a small workshop in the middle of the souk, where we were the only women, then an office, then a larger workshop. We even equipped it with toilets - a great novelty! - and we are very proud of it.

S.A.E. : What was your strategy to penetrate the international market?

K.R. : In 2016, I almost gave up. With the daily bombardments, the lack of water and electricity, production was suffering. And since no one was buying our products inside Syria and the company was not making any profits, I had to continuously inject funds into the project from my own pocket. That's when I discovered on the Internet the Ethical Fashion initiative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Geneva. It seeks to connect marginalized artisans in developing countries with international fashion houses. In February 2016, we exhibited our creations for the first time in Geneva. In the meantime, we created the Made by Women association with former colleagues of the Collège du Léman International School in Geneva and with the help of the Geneva government. Then we entered into a partnership with the ITC, funded by the Japanese government, to access e-commerce IT tools.

Since then, we have been able to export our products from Syria. And the events followed one another: sales exhibitions in Geneva, at the Palais des Nations, at the International Trade Centre, on the occasion of eComCaravan, the Week for Peace, the Christmas Market. As our sales improved, we were able to diversify our production and make the models more complex. We have also been able to start supporting other craftsmen from all over Syria, from Homs, Lattakia, Damascus, Aleppo by exporting their products. During our last exhibition, we shipped 5 tons of products to Geneva!

Today, we are present on all major social networks on which we post quality photos of our products. Many people follow us and contact us to display our products or for bulk purchases, from all over the world. We have established a network of women who share the same vision of ethical fashion, women who want to help other women living in a war zone or in poverty. We export our products to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the United States, Spain, Switzerland, Algeria, Jordan. In Japan, we collaborate with Shibuya 109, the temple of fashion in Tokyo. A delegation from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs even visited us there and congratulated us!

S.A.E. : Is entrepreneurial success possible in a war-affected country?

K.R. : The most difficult thing is to manage the logistics dimension. Although international sanctions are not supposed to apply to non-governmental organizations and livelihood activities, this jeopardises our activities. When we are stuck, then we make use of a legal study by Georgetown University which shows clearly that as a non-governmental organisation, we should not be sanctioned. Through Made by Women, we order all our supplies from Switzerland. As for our products, they transit through Beirut and are then stored in Switzerland from where they are shipped to customers. For online sales, we have signed a contract with the YellowCube logistics service of the Swiss Post. Our items are scanned and stored in a computerized and automated order fulfillment center, linked to my online store www.raniakinge.com. We are the only company in Syria and probably in the entire Middle East to use this technology!

S.A.E. : What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

R.K. : You really have to want to do it to get started! In a situation like Syria, we must first face the stress of war, the bombs that fall. But you share these risks with everyone else and you are not alone. On the other hand, in such situation, having to tackle each aspect of the project and to manage everyday life challenges; at some point you feel alone.

In the mentality of an entrepreneur, anything is possible. In Switzerland, as a woman, if you have an idea and it meets a need, you will find support. In the Middle East, on the other hand, people with ideas are not valued. So you have to be very persistent, knock on doors over and over again. They will eventually open up. The will to do well and the intelligence of the heart are also important, especially to resist corruption. With a social enterprise, if you give in to corruption, you corrupt your entire mission, and in this case it is no longer worth it. You have to agree to take small steps forward and walk straight. And always rest on your friends!

S.A.E. : What future do you see for your company?

R.K. : My first objective was that the company should support as many women as possible. Now, it is a matter of making the company viable by generating enough profits to cover the costs and reach the break-even point. Now in our sixth year, we are almost there. In the future, I would like to replicate my model in other countries such as Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon or Turkey, from where many women are contacting us in this direction.

I believe that providing people with a livelihood is the best way to fight terrorism. We need to create more social enterprises and empower people to support themselves in their own countries and cultures.

This is my ambition for the future.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

لا بد من إشراك المغتربين لإطلاق الطاقات البشرية غير المستغلة خاصةً وقت الأزمات

اظهرت دراسة لمجموعة البنك الدولي في مطلع العام 2017 حول الدور الذي يمكن أن يلعبه المغتربون في تعزيز التكامل الاقليمي والاقتصادي ونشرت تحت عنوان "حشد جهود المغتربين من منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا من أجل تحقيق التكامل الاقتصادي وريادة الأعمال" أن المغتربين من بلدان الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا يمكنهم القيام بدور بالغ الأهمية في تعزيز التكامل الإقليمي وريادة الأعمال والنمو الاقتصادي في المنطقة، كما يمكنهم مساعدة بلدانهم على أن تصبح من الأطراف الفاعلة الرئيسية في الاقتصاد العالمي.

(Version française)

Over the past decade, the MENA region has experienced considerable economic and population growth, which is only expected to continue in the future. The demand for power in this diverse region (comprised of energy importers and exporters) is expanding between 3% and 8% annually. In fact, the demand for energy is rising so rapidly in the Arab world that even countries which have traditionally exported energy in the past are facing the prospect of becoming energy importers themselves. The following figure shows the increasing demand for electricity overtime in the Arab region, especially in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Entrepreneurship in Conflict Zones 2017, Middle East News.
middleeast-business.com

ايمن ابو الخير

هل نحن في مرحلة اجتياز الاقتصادي المهيمن القائم على أساس المصانع الكبيرة والشركات متعددة الجنسيات إلى عالم يقوم على حرية الاختيار، الذي سيتمكن فيه الكيانات الصغيرة من المنافسة مع الشركات الكبيرة،وبالتالي ستساهم في تشكيل اقتصاد المستقبل؟ هل نحن فعلا بصدد عبور الاقتصاد "التناظري" الحقيقي الى الاقتصاد الافتراضي، ام ان الانتقال سيكون من الاقتصاد الافتراضي الى الاقتصاد الحقيقي؟