Funded by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), the Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF) completed two components of its Sustainable Opportunities for Livelihoods, Vocations and Employment’s Project (SOLVE). The first component of the project focused on the creation of new economic opportunities for 25 particularly vulnerable and displaced women aged 18-35 through vocational and entrepreneurial training. And the second component aimed at improving the professional and social skill of 17 women who had recently graduated from university through training and three-month placement in local companies, businesses and NGOs.
The YLDF found sewing and tailoring the best suitable occupations the vulnerable and displaced women because the local market needs those professions, they require little time for training, and due to the fact that those two occupations are socially accepted. The vocational training in sewing and tailoring last ten days and took place between 20 - 31 March 2022. Following the training, the YLDF developed with the trainees a business plan to help them establish their own small business. To maximize the output of the project, the trainees were accompanied by a counsellor for one month after the completion of the training. Beside the training, the YLDF maintained its support to the trainees to ensure that they would be able to start their own businesses. As of 31 August 2022, 92% of the businesses established by the trainees are still operating and 88% of them have increased their income.
In the second sub-project, the training for professional and social skills, the YLDF selected 17 women from 337 applicants during the period from 15 to 21 March. Among other things, the selected trainees were trained in dealing with work pressure, job interviews, and preparing CVs. In the period from April to August 2022, 17 women completed an internship in seven renowned companies and NGOs in Sana'a. They were able to gain a lot of technical and practical experience, which will make it easier for them to enter the labour market. The respective institutions were very satisfied and four women were able to extend their internship for another three months and two women were able to sign employment contracts following the internship.
Though women are particularly vulnerable in conflicts, they make a great contribution to sustainable peace. Accordingly, it is important to provide them with targeted support, which was achieved through the SOLVE project. Only a total of five women from the both sub-projects had to drop out for personal or health reasons meaning that the majority of the trainees successfully completed the project. The project gave the participant women an opportunity to strengthen their independence and secure their livelihood. "I can say that I am another girl now, I came out of my shell and loneliness. My father changed too, he became friendly and trusts me a lot." This is how a participant described her change as a result of the SOLVE project.
