I felt I needed to do something directly impactful.
Rudayna Abdo Thaki Founder
Rudayna Abdo - Thaki Founder
2026 WE Empower UN SDG Awardee, Middle East
Thaki is a nonprofit organization founded by Rudayna Abdo, focused on bringing quality education to children living in conflict zones across the Middle East. Through an innovative offline learning model, Thaki transforms unused technology into powerful tools for learning, resilience, and opportunity—making education accessible even without internet connectivity.
From Urban Planning to Purpose-Driven Impact
Rudayna’s journey to founding Thaki was deeply personal. As the daughter of Palestinian refugees, born and raised amid conflict and displacement, she understood firsthand the long-term consequences of interrupted education. Years later, with an established career in urban planning, living in Abu Dhabi, she found herself overwhelmed by the devastation of the Syrian war and the growing risk of a “lost generation” of children without access to schooling. At the same time, she noticed a stark contrast: in affluent communities, like in Abu Dhabi, perfectly usable laptops were frequently discarded, while millions of children lacked even the most basic educational tools. “I felt I needed to do something directly impactful,” she recalls. That realization led to the creation of Thaki: an organization built on the belief that access to education should not depend on connectivity or geography.
An Innovative Model: Learning Without Limits
Thaki’s approach is both simple and transformative. The organization collects donated laptops from businesses, refurbishes them, and preloads them with high-quality, curated educational content. These devices operate entirely offline, allowing students to access interactive, engaging learning materials without internet access. Unlike traditional digital education models, Thaki provides a complete learning environment. Each laptop includes bilingual content in Arabic and English, and, in some cases, trilingual with the addition of French, from leading educational providers, covering core subjects as well as STEM, social-emotional learning, and sustainability courses. This offline approach is a solution uniquely suited to the realities of conflict zones. With infrastructure often destroyed and internet access unreliable or restricted, Thaki ensures that learning can continue uninterrupted. At the same time, the offline environment offers a safer, more controlled space for children navigating an increasingly complex digital world and still enhancing their education.
Delivering education in conflict-affected regions comes with significant challenges. From navigating border restrictions to transporting devices classified as hazardous due to lithium batteries, the logistics alone can be daunting. In many areas, internet access is inconsistent or deliberately shut down, further limiting traditional education pathways. Yet Thaki continues to adapt. Through partnerships, local networks, and a flexible model, the organization has successfully reached communities where conventional systems fail.
Transforming Lives Through Education
Today, Thaki has reached more than 62,000 students across over 200 schools and learning centers throughout the Middle East. However, its impact is best understood through the lives it has transformed. For example, a former recipient of a Thaki laptop is now working as a freelance graphic designer, earning an income and supporting her young family through skills she developed using the program. In another case, a woman who had been forced to leave school at a young age returned, determined to continue her education, demonstrating the resilience and determination that access can unlock. These stories highlight a powerful truth: education is more than knowledge; it is a pathway to autonomy, dignity, and hope.
Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals
Thaki’s work directly contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). By expanding access to inclusive and equitable learning opportunities, empowering girls and young women, and building skills for future employment, the organization is helping to close critical gaps in global education systems.
Leadership Rooted in Empowerment
As a leader, Rudayna emphasizes empowerment over control. Her leadership philosophy centers on building strong, resilient teams that can operate independently and adapt to rapidly changing conditions. “Leadership is knowing how to empower your team and be as invisible ultimately,” she explains. This approach has enabled Thaki to grow sustainably while maintaining its focus on meaningful, long-term impact.
Looking Ahead
Thaki remains committed to deepening its impact rather than simply expanding its reach. The organization continues to explore new ways to enhance its programs, including social-emotional learning initiatives and contributions to rebuilding education systems in post-conflict regions.
In a world where uncertainty is constant, one thing remains clear: access to education is foundational to rebuilding lives and communities. For the students Thaki serves, a laptop is not just a piece of technology, but a gateway to education.
By Sophia Agelastos, HON394 Student