As part of the "Youth Capable" project funded by the Islamic Development Bank, under the auspices of the Higher Council for Youth and Sports, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development, and managed by the United Nations Development Programme/People's Assistance Programme, in partnership with the Economic Empowerment Programme for the Palestinian People (DEEP).
A total of 85 beneficiaries were targeted in the governorates of Hebron, Ramallah, Salfit, and Jenin. In the first phase of the project, beneficiaries received vocational training in fields such as beauty, sewing, mechanics, upholstery, and aluminum for a duration of six months, from November 2017 to April 2018, in collaboration with specialized trainers, professional unions, and vocational training departments affiliated with the Ministry of Labor.
In the second phase, 70 beneficiaries were employed in positions that matched their training specialties, starting from May 2018 for a period of six months.
The third phase coincided with the second phase, during which all beneficiaries received intensive training on economic feasibility. Each beneficiary presented a project they wished to implement in reality. All proposed projects were evaluated by a special committee composed of representatives from the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, a specialized trainer in economic feasibility, UNDP, and Al-Afaq. A total of 15 projects were selected for implementation under the "Youth Capable" project, with a budget not exceeding $6,500 each.
On Saturday, August 18, 2018, the first project was implemented on the ground, represented by the opening of a barbershop for beneficiary Hamid Al-Saqawi in the Hebron governorate, specifically in Al-Shuyukh.
After issuing a request for proposals for the necessary tools and equipment from the beneficiary and awarding the contract to the supplier with the lowest price, the equipment was sent to the project site. The delivery of the goods was verified in the presence of Al-Afaq management, the project beneficiary, and the supplier.
Al-Ofoq will continue in the coming days to implement all projects on the ground.
