What is "alfanar"

Alfanar (which means lighthouse in Arabic) is the first venture philanthropy organisation (VPO) focused specifically on supporting development efforts in the Arab Region. Started by Tarek Ben Halim in 2004, Alfanar is guided by the vision that building effective and sustainable civil society organisations will not only improve lives, but also transform communities across the Arab region.

Alfanar has been operating in Egypt since 2004, supporting innovative organisations that work to improve early childhood education, enhance economic opportunities, combat domestic violence, widen access to healthcare, and raise awareness about social, economic and human rights. A description of Alfanar in Arabic is available here.