A powerful start to 2026! OUISSAL 2025/26 continues in Amman with its Second Kick-Off

The new year started successfully with the second Kick-Off Meeting of the 2025/26 OUISSAL cohort. 13 mentees from Lebanon, Algeria, Jordan and Germany as well as 5 mentors from Germany and Jordan met each other for the first time in Amman, Jordan for 3 days of inspiring encounters, workshops and fruitful networking. Though the weather was colder than expected, the group atmosphere made up for it, with everyone growing closer together and making long-lasting connections.

On their first day, the OUISSAL participants were met with warm words of welcome by OUISSAL founder Clara Gruitrooy, who together with our OUISSAL workshop leader Daniela Greiffendorf, held the informative workshop “Get together & Mentoring Concept”. During this time the participants also introduced themselves and their businesses and shared their motivation to join OUISSAL After lunch, the day continued with on the session “Matching and Leadership”, where the growth teams were announced for the first time and they were given their first task. In the evening, everyone came together for a delicious buffet dinner at the Grand Hyatt Amman hotel.

Day 2 built on the conversations and learnings from the prior day, as the growth teamss engaged in a workshop on “Leadership Essentials” in order to enhance their leadership skills. After the lunch break, the workshops continued with a session dedicated to the Growth Teams’ Work, which gave time to the Growth Teams to get to know each other better and prepare for the final pitches the next day.

On the third and last day, each Growth Team gave their own final pitch, sharing with everyone the roadmap for their mentoring year and what they wish to achieve by the end of the program. After these insightful presentations, OUISSAL mentor Dr. Aghadir Jwaihan invited the OUISSAL participants and the EMA Team for lunch at Dar Ne’meh. In the afternoon, the participants visited the ancient Amman Citadel, a beautiful landmark in the heart of Amman.

The Kick-Off finished impressively with the Networking Reception which was organized in cooperation with GIZ Jordan at the Princess Taghrid Institute. This inspiring event united leading local stakeholders and esteemed guests to connect with OUISSAL participants. The keynote speech was given by Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Amman, Guido Kemmerling who welcomed OUISSAL to Jordan, stressing the importance of cross-cultural exchange and the program’s dedication to empower women entrepreneurs across the region. Her Excellency Maha Ali, Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women, voiced her contentment for the OUISSAL program taking place in Jordan. Dr. Rasha Aleid, a OUISSAL alumna from the 2023/24 cohort shared the success story of her company JAZ Pharmaceutical Industrial Factory, after being mentored by Dr. Kirsten Soyke. Finally, Thana’a Khasawneh, the CEO of the Business and Professional Women Association, and Dr. Aghadir Jwaihan gave heartfelt and empowering speeches on the local progress made towards gender equality.

We want to deeply thank each and every participant, mentor, partner and supporter. Without your dedication and openness to share, this Kick-Off would not have been as energizing. Special thanks also goes to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) who are funding OUISSAL and the Agency for Business and Development (AWE) for supporting our project.