Ryme co-founded Sustain the World, a women-led nonprofit that empowers youth and women in the sustainable energy transition by working across the water, energy, and food nexus.
Sustain the World began in 2018 after Ryme and her co-founders saw women make up just 1% of the workforce in the male-dominated construction sector.1 In response, they sought to expand opportunities for women and young people in Lebanon’s green economy. They initially focused on providing training in renewable energy, waste recycling, and water systems to create pathways into green jobs. Due to instability in Lebanon, the organisation adapted its approach to meet urgent community needs while continuing its mission of creating green jobs.
To date, Sustain the World has created over 2,500 green job opportunities, training and employing youth and women to support infrastructure projects across the sectors it operates in. The organisation has also supported over 100 youth-led small and medium-sized enterprises and women-led cooperatives involved in buying and selling food, installing free solar systems to support their continuity despite energy shortages. This project has mitigated a total of 92,920 tCO2 through waste reduction and the transition from diesel to solar energy.
At the 2024 Summit in Montréal, Ryme spoke on the panel Addressing Climate Change Through Youth Entrepreneurship: A Conversation with Enterprising Futures Scholars and the Ambassador for Youth, Education and Work with Jurriaan Middelhoff, the Dutch Ambassador for Youth, Education, and Work, and fellow Scholars on the IKEA Open Home Stage. These connections led to the creation of WhatsApp groups and a network of leaders who continue to share experiences and support each other. Hearing the success stories of other Ambassadors keeps her inspired despite the challenges of war impacting her organisation.
“Being an Ambassador with the war and everything happening in Lebanon. I have to find a way to keep going. This Community has given me that push, and a network around me that helps me carry on.”
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