Qatar Red Crescent Society Supports Livelihoods for Displaced Families in Yemen

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched a livelihood support project for displaced families in Yemen. The move aims to improve the standard of living for 610 poor families in Aden, Abyan, and Lahij, through vocational training for breadwinners in income-generating professions, at a total cost of US$278,600.

During the inauguration ceremony, Mohamed Salem Al-Shukaila, Director of Technical Education and Vocational Training Office in Aden, said, “Today, we are launching the project to support livelihoods for poor families, which is funded by QRCS and coordinated with the Technical Education and Vocational Training Office. We are grateful to QRCS for this contribution, and we look forward to supporting the departments and trainees with advanced training and production machines. After the training, we hope that every trainee will have her own sewing machine, to start their own small enterprises in the labor market.”

Gihad Mohamed Maatouq, director of the Industrial Vocational Institute in Mansoura, Aden, welcomed the project: “We are pleased with the initiative of QRCS to help the youth to earn their living. It is a realistic initiative that addresses the current situation in the country. The institute cherishes such courses, as they are the best solution for the suffering of families. I hope that this pattern will continue to diversify education tracks for the youth into the labor market”.

In Lahij, Ayman Al-Shuhairi, director-general of the Technical Education and Vocational Training Office, stated, “We are kicking off the training courses under the QRCS-funded livelihood support project, for the benefit of 105 people in Al-Hawtah District. It involves mobile phone maintenance, motorcycle mechanics, incense making, and many other professions. It is a significant and unique project by QRCS, and these courses would help improve livelihoods”.

During a training course under the project, Gamila Saad Al-Majaali, a hairdressing trainer, commented, “Today, we started a hairdressing training program with 25 attendees, for four hours per day, or 120 hours over a month. The project allows the trainees to learn how to practice make-up and hairdressing. Hopefully, this initiative would help the poor and displaced families to make their livelihoods. I would like to thank QRCS for its vital interventions, especially in this field”.

The project involves training 100 persons in mobile phone maintenance, training 100 persons in handicrafts (50% sewing and 50% hairdressing), training 100 persons in the installation and maintenance of solar panels, distributing livestock like sheep and cows to 250 poor families in rural areas, and training 60 persons in basic motorcycle mechanics and maintenance. Each category of trainees would be provided with the tools and supplies to start their own enterprises, and all the trainees would be qualified and certified in administrative and financial project management.