The Skoll Foundation mourns the loss of Soraya Salti, founder of INJAZ al-Arab. Last week, Soraya and her sister, Jumana, both died tragically and unexpectedly.
Soraya was an outstanding leader and became the first Arab woman to be honored with the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2009. As the founder and leader of INJAZ al-Arab, she touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of Arab youth, working with them to overcome unemployment and inspiring them to believe they had the potential to shape their lives and the future of their countries.
Her legacy lives on as INJAZ continues to reach and prepare millions of young people throughout the Middle East to realize their full potential.
Together with her many friends, family, and admirers, we grieve the loss of a wonderful woman and member of our community, knowing that we can best honor her legacy by redoubling our efforts to help transform the lives of the young people she believed in so deeply.
We close with an excerpt from a touching tribute by one of Soraya’s students, Hussam Masri:
Today, 14 years after I met Soraya, she left our world, leaving behind two million students in 14 countries that learned and developed through the program she led. It is beyond my comprehension that there are thousands of other stories similar to mine made possible because of Soraya. That’s a legacy that every man and woman dream of having.
Here are some of the lessons I learned from this great leader and dear mentor, that I try to embrace everyday, yet fail to fully embody them as well as she always did.
I guess I’m meant to remain one of her students even when she’s gone:
(1) The hardest step in any success is to begin, if you believe in something, plan and start right away, the time is always ‘now’ – you’ll make mistakes, but that’s the only way you grow.
(2) After you start, you will only succeed with your team. Take care of your people: give credit when it’s due, when you succeed it’s because of them, when they fail, it’s on you.
(3) Stay positive, be patient, remain cheerful. You can win the world with a smile. No matter how good or bad it gets, it’s a journey that we should always celebrate.
(4) See the best in every person, everyone is the best at something, learn from everyone, and be there for anyone that seeks to learn from you. Never forget those that lent you [a] hand when you needed one, we’re all in it together.
(5) Once you succeed, no matter how much you succeed, stay hungry, stay curious and always, always, always be humble.
Today, the life of Soraya Salti should be celebrated.
More from INJAZ al-Arab.
Update: INJAZ has set up a website, www.jaworldwide.org/sorayasalti/, to celebrate her work and leadership. We are all invited to visit the site and add our comments and memories, which is a tangible way to keep her with us and to ensure that her work continues into the future.
