Vocational training for 80 Syrian refugee women in Lebanon

The Social Relief and Welfare Association in Saida held yesterday a graduation ceremony for some 80 Syrian refugee women who completed courses in sewing, cooking, secretariat and IT. The 3-month training workshop was funded by the Sharja Charity Association under the supervision of the Humanitarian and Development Affairs Attaché at the UAE embassy in Beirut. This activity comes as part of the Specific Human Capital Investment Program which includes support in the fields of vocational education and training, as well as protection and empowerment of women refugees and is implemented by the Emirati Attaché in Lebanon. In this context, Muslim Masuri, director of the Attaché, pointed out that the latter, in collaboration with involved partners, is currently studying ways to secure the  tools and equipment needed to assist graduates in starting up their small businesses. For his part, the head of the Sharja Charity Projects and Guarantees Management, Mohammad Hamdan Zerri, announced an extension of the courses for another semester to take in new students. He maintained that the aim of educating displaced Syrian women is to empower them to be self-reliant, facilitate their social integration and increase their chances to get jobs in order to eke out a living for their families. (Al Mustaqbal, February 23, 2017)