--- title: "A man on a mission: Jan Gerard in Palestinian territory — Sping Digital Lab" source: "https://sping.nl/en/insights/a-man-on-a-mission/" --- 1. [Home ](https://sping.nl/en/)/ 2. [Blog ](https://sping.nl/en/insights/)/ 3. A man on a mission: Jan Gerard in Palestinian territory 3 minutes to read # A man on a mission: Jan Gerard in Palestinian territory Jan Gerard Snip, founder of Sping and PUM volunteer, travelled to the Palestinian territories to assist a startup in establishing recruitment services for local IT graduates seeking remote work with Western companies. ![Jan Gerard Snip, founder of Sping and PUM volunteer, travelled to the Palestinian territories to assist a startup in establishing recruitment services for local IT graduates seeking remote work with Western companies.](https://sping.nl/images/posts/a-man-on-a-mission/00-jg_pum_trip_header001.jpeg) Jan Gerard Snip is not only an enthusiastic entrepreneur but also a member of PUM, an organisation that assists businesses in developing countries and emerging markets. He recently embarked on a special mission to the Palestinian territories as a volunteer. ## The Mission In the Palestinian territories, many IT graduates face high unemployment due to the absence of recruiters in the region. The startup Synergia works to address this challenge. Jan Gerard partnered with the entrepreneur to develop a business development programme establishing recruitment services alongside their existing offerings, with the goal of connecting Palestinian youth with remote work opportunities at Western companies. What stood out to him was that the young people there speak excellent English and have often visited Europe or America — so there are virtually no language or cultural barriers. ## What He Did Jan Gerard provided Synergia with advice on expanding services and leveraging technology in their business model. Synergia offers payroll services to Western companies while helping Palestinian educated employees find work placements. They manage salary payments, tax obligations, and contracts compliant with Palestinian and Israeli law. Jan Gerard’s expertise in business development for startups, UX design, and complex digital solutions proved valuable to their expansion strategy. At Sping, a complex HR platform with an accompanying mobile app had already been developed, and this experience and expertise came in very handy. ## Results and Impact The project resulted in Synergia establishing a clear market focus with a roadmap for launching recruitment services. The entrepreneur gained understanding of the technological requirements and software platform needs necessary for growth. Ali, Synergia’s founder, expressed great satisfaction with the assistance and indicated interest in seeking further PUM support the following year. ## Reflections A major issue in the region is the restriction of freedom for Palestinians — made very visible by high walls and watchtowers. Ramallah itself, however, is a modern and safe city. Jan Gerard observed vibrant young people enjoying themselves and noted the excellent food. The office of Synergia is located in a modern Incubator & Techno Center, near the University. It was an incredibly valuable experience and privilege to help Ali take this step in his business. For Jan Gerard, the knowledge gained about the history, religions, politics, and business environment of the Palestinian territories and the Middle East made the mission as enriching personally as it was professionally. ## Images ![Jan Gerard Snip on mission in Palestinian territories](https://sping.nl/images/posts/a-man-on-a-mission/01-jg_trip_pum_11.jpeg) ![Jan Gerard with Synergia entrepreneur in Ramallah](https://sping.nl/images/posts/a-man-on-a-mission/02-jg_trip_pum_07.jpg) ![Jan Gerard at Synergia office](https://sping.nl/images/posts/a-man-on-a-mission/03-jg_trip_pum_04.jpg) ![Jan Gerard and Synergia team members](https://sping.nl/images/posts/a-man-on-a-mission/04-jg_trip_pum_12.jpeg) ![Jan Gerard walking through the streets of Ramallah](https://sping.nl/images/posts/a-man-on-a-mission/05-jg_trip_pum_14.jpeg) ![Jan Gerard at the Synergia Incubator Center](https://sping.nl/images/posts/a-man-on-a-mission/06-jg_trip_pum_15.jpeg) * [Pum](https://sping.nl/en/tag/pum/) * [Ondernemen](https://sping.nl/en/tag/ondernemen/) * [Internationaal](https://sping.nl/en/tag/internationaal/) * [Business Development](https://sping.nl/en/tag/business-development/) Share: [Back to blog](https://sping.nl/en/insights/) ## Related posts [View all posts »](https://sping.nl/en/insights/) [![PUM mission to Senegal: IT business development and AI](https://sping.nl/images/posts/pum-missie-naar-senegal-it-business-development-en-ai/00-screenshot-2024-06-19-at-144130.png)](https://sping.nl/en/insights/pum-mission-to-senegal-it-business-development-and-ai/) ### [PUM mission to Senegal: IT business development and AI](https://sping.nl/en/insights/pum-mission-to-senegal-it-business-development-and-ai/) Sping director Jan Gerard Snip travelled to Senegal on behalf of volunteer organisation PUM to help upgrade Sammanté Health''s digital platform with AI capabilities and Software as a Service functionality. 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