Enterprise Basic Vocation Training Program Borama, Awdel State
PROJECT TITLE: Enterprise Basic Vocational Training Program (EBVT)
Project Location: Borama, Awdal Region
COUNTRY: Somaliland, Somalia
NAME OF CANADIAN NGO: Somali-Canadian Education and Rural
Development Organization (SCERDO)
NAME(S) OF LOCAL PARTNER(S):
Health & Human Resource Development Organization (HRDO)
Project Duration: One year (12 months )
Project beneficiaries: 95 unemployed youth (returned refugees) including disabled groups
Following the past civil wars 1980-1990, the return of over 700,000 refugees to Somaliland continues to pose tremendous pressure and challenge to the weak absorptive capacities of the hosting communities. People in these communities are often in no better position socio-economically than refugees who returned home with nothing.
The returning youth population, which comprises over 30% of the total returnees, challenges the already saturated employment markets of Somaliland major towns. This is exacerbated by the general economic depression of the country caused by the livestock - export ban of the Gulf States.
A majority of the returning youth left at an early age and received no or minimum education in the refugee camps.
In the Awdal region over 35% of the refugees returned to Borama, in the hope that they will find employment opportunities and better living conditions. Limited employment opportunities, limited education and lack of skills soon frustrated these youth. Consequently, they represent a potential “time bomb”. Early childbearing for young women, sometimes without husbands, has led to extreme poverty and health problems. Unemployed, unskilled and frustrated young men are easily lured into outlaw gangs and militia. Young people with disabilities struggle to adapt to normal life style of the community.
Vocational training is the first expressed need of youth mentioned by every age and sex group of refugees. Ninety-three percent of urban youth already in Somaliland expressed a desire to learn skills. According to the Government of Somaliland’s plan of action, sustainable job creation is constrained by lack of skilled workers, lack of management skills for business of all sizes, lack of training facilities, lack of basic education and vocational training, and lack of qualified trainers.
SCERDO’S proposed vocational enterprise training, which will ensure gender equity, directly and rapidly answers the needs of the following areas:
· Generation of job opportunities for returning youth with disabilities.
· Provide a variety of marketable skills training to unemployed youth.
· Increase employment of vocational training graduates.
· Improve the quality of teaching and vocational training by engaging local NGO partners and funding agencies in an effective vocational training program.
· Increase employment and vocational training opportunities to a greater number of young women.
· Increase employment and vocational training opportunities to a greater number of youth with disabilities.
· Sustain quality of programming by introducing evaluation, providing problem-solving meetings, and teaching conflict resolution strategies.
· Implementing partners will provide information on local markets, and will encourage student work experience opportunities by potential employers. All trainers providing work experience will receive orientation and training about job seeking, and/or small business management skills.
· Youth will acquire tools necessary for skilled work. Trainees will be loaned necessary tools or supplies upon graduation. These loans will be repaid by installment or contract agreements.
· Existing local professionals/trades-people will be encouraged to initiate long-term training opportunities to youth through this project. Training sites will be paid a fee-for-service and provided support to assist in teaching methodologies.
· Student fees, when possible, will be charged based on their capacity to pay.
Note: See pictures from the project