12 Organizations Active in Middle East and Africa Among Global Recipients 
 
Dubai, UAE – The Citi Foundation recently announced the grant recipients of its first-ever Global Innovation Challenge, a new model to identify and provide philanthropic support to community organizations that are developing innovative solutions to social and economic challenges facing low-income communities. 
 
The Challenge is providing a total of $25 million to 50 community organizations working to improve food security and strengthen the financial health of low-income families and communities around the world. Twelve of the winning organizations hail from, or have active programs in the Middle East & Africa region having collectively received more than USD 5 million or 21% of global funding.
 
In February 2023, the Citi Foundation issued the global RFP, the first in its history. Over 1,000 submissions from organizations working in more than 80 countries were submitted. Each of the 50 recipients has been granted $500,000 to support programming across four key areas: food access, availability, affordability and community resilience. Innovations range from launching apps that will connect food supply and demand to piloting new technology and sustainable farming practices to setting up urban gardens and more. Highlights include:
 
Concern Worldwide is providing business training, expanding access to markets and investors, delivering nutrition education, and supporting urban gardening for small-scale food vendors, especially women and youth, in Nairobi, Kenya. 

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is facilitating food marketing and management interventions and customized training programs for low-income rural Moroccans and Tunisians.

Misr Elkheir Foundation is supporting small-scale women farmers in Egypt by helping them use solar-powered tools to preserve their produce longer and training them to turn their farming into sustainable, self-run businesses.

Tameer e Khalaq Foundation (TKF) is supporting communities vulnerable to flooding in Pakistan by offering training in community organizing, sustainable irrigation, livestock management and solar-powered produce drying units.
 
‘With 770 million people suffering from some form of malnutrition around the world, it’s important for the private and public sectors to step up and use their resources to support the solutions that are going to end this global crisis,’ said Ebru Pakcan, CEO of Middle East & Africa Region at Citi. ‘I am delighted that twelve organizations in the Middle East and Africa region are among recipients of the first-ever Global Innovation Challenge cohort delivering life-changing solutions that will strengthen the health of low-income communities.’
 
The Citi Foundation’s Global Innovation Challenge on food security complements Citi’s strong track record in the space – from working with clients to develop digital payment solutions to extending financing to organizations that help smallholder farmers increasing productivity and more.
 
The grants span two years and over the course of the initiative, grantees will have access to a learning community facilitated by IDEO.org, a non-profit design studio. Through a digital platform and a set of curated experiences, grantees will have the opportunity to collaborate, share lessons learned and exchange best practices.
 
For more information on the Global Innovation Challenge and a complete list of grant recipients, please visit citifoundation.com/challenge
 
Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant communities. The Citi Foundation's "More than Philanthropy" approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com.