After months of planning, partnerships, and careful groundwork, Mini Active’s new professional training program, Earning with Dignity, is officially live. This marks an important moment not only for the women enrolled, but for East Jerusalem’s broader effort to create sustainable, dignified employment opportunities close to home.
For many women in East Jerusalem, economic reality leaves little room for choice. Work is often informal, unstable, physically demanding, and frequently outside the city, pulling women away from their families and limiting long-term professional growth. Earning with Dignity was designed as a practical alternative: a recognized professional qualification, taught in Arabic, in Jerusalem, and adapted to women’s lives.
The program is operated by Mini Active in partnership with Bar-Ilan University through Marian College. It offers women a formal training track that leads to an official certificate, providing real entry into stable employment and opening the door to future academic studies.
This first track focuses on special education assistance for early childhood, a field with clear demand in Jerusalem’s education system. Beginning in January 2026, participants will study one day a week in a women-only learning environment, with coursework delivered in Arabic by lecturers from Marian College and Bar-Ilan University. The program runs for approximately one year and combines academic study with practical relevance.
What makes this initiative stand out is not only the credential, but the conditions around it. Classes are held at Mini Active’s offices in Jerusalem, reducing transportation barriers. The schedule is designed for mothers and caregivers. Participants may begin working as early as the fourth month of training, allowing them to gain experience and income while completing the program.
Affordability was treated as a core principle, not an afterthought. Mini Active succeeded in reducing tuition significantly, and interest-free loans are available to women based on socioeconomic need. This ensures that financial barriers do not exclude those who stand to benefit most.
Earning with Dignity is more than a training course. It is a statement that women in East Jerusalem deserve access to recognized education, respectable employment, and economic stability without having to leave their city or compromise their family life. As the program begins its first cycle, it represents a tangible step toward stronger households, a more resilient local workforce, and a future where opportunity is both accessible and dignified.
This is only the beginning.