YEMEN: Election Bug Catches 1,000 Youth

July 12, 2012

4 min read

If it takes a catalytic moment to galvanize a large number of people, Yemen has been in the throes of that moment for some time. Though things did come to a head, at least figuratively, in February when the country held its presidential elections. Despite only one candidate on the ballot, Yemenis turned out to vote, begging the question, ‘why?’

“We participated. We showed that Yemen is different from other countries. And it is our only choice. It is either this, or succeeding in a different way, but in that way, people will die. The elections are also a way of asking if people want Saleh [former president] or not and to prove he is not wanted,” said twenty-year old Marwa, a youth activist who took part in the demonstrations that led to the ouster of Yemen’s former autocratic ruler, President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

For youth such as Marwa, it was not only the first time they were voting in their lives, but also they were given the opportunity to engage in the actual electoral process. Prior to the election, the USAID-funded Community Livelihoods Project provided a grant to the Holool Foundation, a Yemeni non-profit dedicated to combating unemployment and poverty, by training 1,000 youth to become elections monitors and observers. Having a multi-fold purpose, the election’s project provided employment to youth while also educating them about electoral processes. According to a Holool Foundation and its non-profit partner, Resonate! Yemen Foundation’s report about the project, another aim of the activities was to bring the voices and ideas of young Yemenis into the public discourse as they are major stakeholders. Three-quarters of Yemen’s population is under 30 years of age and 46-percent under age 15.

“When I was at the voting station, the paper was in front of me but I just stood there staring [as if trying to decide who to vote for]. ‘Are you kidding?!’ said one girl who was watching me, ‘What is this election for anyway? There is only one candidate!,'” said Marwa, who served as a monitor for the elections. “I told her that I knew that, but it was still important because by voting, we are showing to other countries that we can follow democratic processes and we are doing it to save Yemen.”

During the election, project youth alternated between being election monitors or observers, so that they would get the full benefit of the experience. Easily identifiable with their elections’ uniforms, youth stationed at 313 randomly chosen election centers discussed issues with voters and encouraged them to go through with voting. Also, another first for Yemen, an SMS system was established so that the public could report on any corruption, fraud or violence at the polls. Youth monitors reviewed the messages on screens with large feeds and filtered them to the relevant election center.

For messages of concern, youth observers called the election center to have monitors investigate the allegations and take action. Messages were also posted on a website so that voters could stay up to date with the election in real time.

“In the beginning, I thought no-one would participate and they wouldn’t understand [how to use the SMS service]. I was shocked to see the public participating. It was the first time in Yemen. I felt proud and talked to my friends about it and they said to let us know how to get involved next time around,” said Marwa. “In total we received 9,000 SMS. Even the U.S. Ambassador was surprised! I thought to myself that if we get this many SMS’s when there is only one candidate in the elections — so, what would happen if more than one candidate participated?!”

For a first, overall the February election went off well although monitors did report that 16 centers reported incidents of encouraging potential voters to boycott the elections, 7 election centers reported the bribing of voters and 8 election centers reported voter intimidation. Other incidents involved the lateness in the opening and closing of polling stations. After a year of protests, the early presidential elections marked a beginning of a two-year transitional period for Yemen. During this period it is anticipated that a national dialogue will be held, constitutional reforms will take place, elections laws reviewed and conclude with parliamentary elections.

“One day, I will be President – although Ambassador or Minister will be ok, too! I could become Minister of Defense,” said Marwa. “People keep saying it’s difficult, but I want to do it because when I was younger I wanted to go into the military, but the only job given to women was checking bags at the airport. I wanted to be a Captain. I want to be high up so I can have more influence.”

As a representative of youth activists, Marwa proves that Yemeni youth require only the basic of opportunities to become engaged in the political discourse that will lead their country on the path of democratic systems. Youths demonstrated through their efforts, innate talent, capacity for hard work and commitment to the task at hand. For the Community Livelihoods Project, it was also an opportunity to fulfill its mandate combining an intensive works program while helping develop the skills of good citizenship.

Bringing innovative youth programming experience directly from Central America

July 3, 2012

2 min read

Salvador Stadthagen landed in DC from Tegucigalpa to take in one of the youth sessions at the USAID Democracy & Governance Officers Workshop last week down at the Carnegie Center. After a quick pit stop by HQ’s communications office before he started his 3 day “marathon” working on youth related topics, Salvador always positive and energetic with a smile that underscores the passion that we at Creative have on issues related to youth programming.

Salvador is the Project Director for the Honduras Youth Alliance (Alianza Joven Honduras- AJH) Project. This project is a follow-on to the Alianza Joven Regional (AJR) USAID- SICA project. AJH is strengthening and building the sustainability of key elements of USAID/Creative’s AJR programming through grants, technical assistance and leadership for prevention of violence as well as engagement with the Government of Honduras, and other USAID CARSI implementers, donors, communities and the private sector. The project’s mission is to empower youth, communities, municipalities, and governments to confront the challenges of violence and implement the positive changes that they seek through the establishment of public-private partnerships, and the active participation of civil society. (more…)

Election Bug Catches 1,000 Youth in Yemen

June 25, 2012

2 min read

For youth such as twenty-one year old Marwa, it was not only the first time they were voting in their lives, but also that they were given the opportunity to engage in the actual electoral process. (more…)

YEMEN: USAID Frontlines features Creative’s Community Livelihoods Project

May 23, 2012

Driving over Despair: Mobile Medical Teams Serve Yemenis on the Fringes

May 23, 2012

5 min read

The following article appeared in the May/June 2012 edition of Frontlines. To access this article, click here.

It was once a local schoolhouse, but now the only sound is the buzzing of flies circling lazily over prone bodies, offering bleak testimony to the malaise of homelessness. Eight families are squatting in this derelict school in Yemen’s Lahj governorate, refugees from the fighting that erupted between government forces and al-Qaida-backed militants in the neighboring governorate of Abyan.

“This is such an awful place for us,” says Arwa, a flat-faced, strong-jawed older woman who does not know her age. Arwa, whose surname has been omitted to protect her security, awkwardly half sits, half reclines in the pale dust, staring vaguely out of eyes clouded with cataracts. She is sick, and can neither stand, sit, nor walk properly because her hips and cracked, blackened feet are so twisted with arthritis that they cannot hold her up.

“We have nothing here,” Arwa says. “No food, no clothing. The water is filthy, and we are always sick. We have been totally abandoned.”

A Lifeline to the Poor

Well, not totally abandoned. At this location, Arwa is among the 40-odd people—mostly women and children—who receive treatment from a USAID-funded Mobile Medical Team (MMT), a joint venture between the Lahj Governorate Health Office and the USAID-funded Community Livelihoods Project.

MMTs provide basic primary care, diagnose illnesses, and hand out medications free of charge to the most poor and marginalized populations living in remote communities or on the fringes of the larger cities. With more than 15 operating throughout the country, they serve an estimated 2,000 beneficiaries per month, more than 29,000 since the project’s inception 15 months ago. The project plans to expand in 2012, aiming to add an additional five MMTs and reaching out to 80,000 beneficiaries by September.

Both male and female doctors work out of tiny rural health and community centers and schools. The mobile vans contain ultrasound machines in addition to other basic diagnostic equipment and a stockpile of essential medicines. Some of the vans are equipped so that the service providers can examine patients inside the van. Others are small and just carry the staff and the equipment to a location where they can serve the population.

Dr. Muwada Huida is one of the women doctors who works in the Lahj MMT. “There are so many issues here,” she says.

According to Dr. Huida, most patients arrive with upper respiratory infections or gastroenteritis owing to contaminated water and food. Many women come in with pregnancy and post-pregnancy complications—often after travelling huge distances on foot or by bus.

On this day, Arwa received treatment for a respiratory tract infection. (more…)

SNAPSHOT: KURMUK, SUDAN

May 22, 2012

1 min read

TwoGirlsSudan — A schoolgirl and her sister wait for Literacy Week to begin at a HEAR Sudan sponsored community center in Kurmuk, Sudan.

The Health, Education and Reconciliation (HEAR) Sudan project focuses on promoting education, school-based health and strengthening school governance to increase the access of healthy girls and boys to quality education through community support and action. HEAR Sudan, funded by USAID, operates in the Three Areas of Sudan – Abyei, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile – historically among the most neglected, disadvantaged and least developed parts of Sudan.

YEMEN: Sana’a Youth Enthusiastic Over Civics Ed

May 22, 2012

4 min read

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YEMEN:

Sana’a Youth Enthusiastic Over Civics Ed

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Attentive youth during the CLP-sponsored civics workshop.

On March 3, 2012, 50 young men and women from Sana’a were welcomed by CLP staff and trainers for a series of workshops instructing them in democratic practices and the significance of tolerance. The series is part of the CLP ‘Generation of Peace Project’ targeting 1,000 youth who will also participate in volleyball and soccer tournaments and a talent show. For now, the workshops are CLP’s response to increasing the understanding of political processes among participants who range from 18 to 25 years of age.

Caught in the maelstrom of demonstrations, violence and uncertainty for their futures, many of these youth have ventured to Change Square to play their part in transforming Yemen in the coming years. Yet, a full understanding of democratic systems and civics has been somewhat elusive. Many youth who found themselves at demonstrations in Change Square did so without having a general understanding of governance. Still, these youth are an extraordinary asset to their country and if adequately guided, they possess the will and energy to engage in Yemen’s current political, social and economic transition.

On the second day of the workshop, 19 year old Ansam, a high school graduate who will begin university this year said, “The workshop is providing us with new information although we studied some of this before; a lot of the concepts weren’t clear such as understanding different political systems. I am thirsty and want to know more and more; and, the way the trainers present the topics is so interesting. I will go to college knowing these things with the help of this workshop.”

Divided into several components, the CLP workshop addresses the fundamentals of a civil state, democracy, elections, human rights and good citizenship, among other subjects. Rather than lecture students, trainers engage participants by challenging their notions and biases and divide them into groups so as to provoke discussion among those who share different opinions of the functions of government and the role of citizens in a civic state.

“We are in a transition. We have hope that things will improve,” said Ansam. “Though I was not with either Change or Tahrir Square, I think if I have to choose, I am more with the Change camp.”

Recognizing that Yemen has many problems that a democratic country doesn’t have, Ansam notes that “many of the same people are still in control, and if they’re still here, there’s no democracy.” Looking on the bright side however, she adds that “the transition is changing the ideas of youth about democracy, ideas on how to build the country and not to destroy it. Democracy is a miracle, I’m not sure even the Americans have reached full democracy.”

Assam, 20, found out about CLP’s workshop through a Facebook posting and decided to apply because he says it focused on youth problems, “we need this workshop to learn how to deal with others, how to accept. And, we’re enjoying and learning at the same time. The exercises help us to learn about each other and about topics that gives us ideas, not in a direct way, but it gives ideas.”

He adds that, “for democracy to come to Yemen it will depend on us [youth]. Lots of things still have to happen, but we will make the change in our lifetime. After all, youth made a change a year ago through protests. Youth are very cool, though some have no information about political systems, yet they have the ability to accept new ideas.”

During a break at the Al Bustan Hotel where the workshops are being held, Ansam articulated some immediate changes she would like to see in Yemen. For instance, she would like to come to America but as a woman in Yemen tradition does not allow her to travel alone and she believes such notions regarding women should be changed. An optimist, as any hopeful 19-year old, she adds, “One of my friends dreams of being president one day. At first we laughed at him, but after the elections there is a small hope that that could be true someday. Why not? If, we’re building ourselves? The elections were the first time I voted and I was so happy that I was changing something, my voice and my vote prove that I love my country even if there were limited choices in respect to candidates. It was a small step.”

In the coming months, CLP will continue its work with youth, further building their capacity to engage and understand the ramifications of engaging, or not engaging, in to build Yemen’s future through active civic participation with tolerance and good will.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-primary”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

YEMEN: From Change, Tahrir Squares, Redirecting Youths’ Energies Constructively

May 22, 2012

3 min read

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YEMEN:

From Change, Tahrir Squares, Redirecting Youths’ Energies Constructively

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A young contestant performs at the CLP arts competition.

Outside the auditorium at Sana’a’s luxurious Movenpick Hotel last Monday, March 12th, the scene was anything but quiet. Contrasting with the silence inside the theatre, some 50 youth coached one another while waiting their turn before taking a shot at their big moment on stage. The youth are all competitors for the USAID Community Livelihoods Project’s (CLP) talent show. At any moment the judges could call upon anyone of them to perform. From sorrowful folksongs, to break dancing and Hip Hop, they gave their best.

While the winners of the talent show are weeks away from earning their awards, over at CLP’s implementing partner’s offices for the arts competition, Yemen Education for Employment Foundation, artists in training were getting a chance to better their skills. For 21-year-old Tayseer , the certificate she will obtain from CLP after this course will likely give her a jump-start as a professional painter. “There is a huge difference between those who study an art form and those who don’t,” said Tayseer . “Also, competition is the greatest way to communicate between artists, there’s lots of talent here, but we artists don’t know each other, CLP is doing a major part in getting us artists together.”

Eighteen year old, Ali heard about the CLP arts competition by seeing banners about it at Change Square. With a scarf tied around his head and in jeans, Ali could be an aspiring artist anywhere. For, him art is critical. “Once I started painting and calligraphy, it provided a source of peace for me, made me feel compatible with myself. Also, after the competition, I would like to transfer the knowledge that I have gained to others. If you have something, some talent, you must share with others.”

The talent and art competition are part of the CLP Generation of Peace initiative targeting 1,000 youth from all sides of the political and economic spectrum. They have been brought together to participate in the arts, talent competition, civic engagement courses, and a sports tournament that aims to foster peace through volleyball and soccer. These activities are an attempt to redirect youth’s energies from exploding into violence as a consequence of the current and recent political events in Yemen. Those taking part in these contests show the resilience of Yemeni youth when provided support from programs such as USAID’s CLP; these youth exemplify that they are more than willing to cooperate and redirect their energies in a positive way.

At the Al-Bustan Hotel, civic engagement trainer, Marwan noted that youth trainees’ interests centered on democracy and how to promote democratic practices in reality within their families and the larger society. “They ask repeated questions about the reality that they live and the ideal knowledge of democratic systems. It is very confusing to them that many presidents in the region are dictators; they question the difference between practice and theory.”

For that reason Marwan says that the civic engagement trainings are set up to have youth interact with one another and test democratic practices. “For example, sometimes the trainer acts as the authoritarian figure and has absolute power. The youth equate absolute power with absolute corruption, so they try to change the situation by proposing an election.”

Back at the Movenpick Hotel, music, song and dance continued, the scene much like that of the renown American Idol television program in the U.S. The CLP project works with the Yemeni Ministry of Youth and Sports to implement its Generation of Peace activities. “This activity [talent show] is very good and has been from the beginning. A program like this is the future, life – if you’re drowning and find that little straw to hang on to, you save a life because it opens up a window,” said Adulsalam Hamod Atef, deputy minister of Yemen’s Youth and Sports Ministry, who came to view the performances.

“CLP, the whole project is big; the scale is good. It’s not easy to carry out such activities. We [the Ministry of Youth and Sports] have a similar activity every year, the President’s Award, but have found it hard to manage an activity such as this,” said Adulsalam. “CLP is good; it helps people in a real fashion, it’s not just propaganda. When it comes to the real stuff, CLP touches the problem and goes all the way. It’s like when you ask, ‘where’s the beef?’ CLP is the beef.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-primary”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

EGYPT: SMS Alerts and Media Spots Prevent Coercion of Voters

May 22, 2012

3 min read

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EGYPT:

SMS Alerts and Media Spots Prevent Coercion of Voters

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Filming media spots to rally voters.

In the lead up to Egypt’s first post-Mubarak parliamentary elections, Egyptians disseminated more than 166,000 Electoral Integrity SMS alerts to women and youth in their communities. This was no spontaneous uprising but the result of a project, Egypt ELECT!, conceived and implemented by Creative’s Electoral Education and Integrity Practice Area team. Egypt ELECT! builds the capacity of Egyptians to develop, produce, and disseminate voter education messages surrounding issues of electoral integrity that specifically resonate with women and youth in their underserved communities.

Women and youth in Egypt, particularly those coming from poor and underserved communities, were historically disempowered within their country’s political system. Often coming from traditional patriarchic structures and lacking the opportunity to effect change amidst Egypt’s power structures, they tended not to participate in the electoral process. Women and youth who attempted to participate were subjected to vote buying, coercion, and misinformation, among other acts of electoral fraud and violence.

The January 25 Egyptian Revolution opened an unprecedented democratic space in Egypt and created an opportunity to empower these underserved populations. The Revolution brought to the streets a wide cross-section of the Egyptian populace, including women and young people, and raised their expectations and demands for access to information and participation in elections and political processes. During the past year, with funding from USAID, Creative has been working in a non-partisan way in Egypt through to help address this traditional marginalization of women and youth from the electoral process.

As part of this effort, Creative’s Egypt ELECT! project worked with Souktel Inc. to help Egyptian groups develop the infrastructure to disseminate SMS Alerts through a computer-based system designed for the project. This enabled the dissemination of Electoral Integrity SMS alerts to women and youth in marginalized communities in the lead up to Egypt’s first post-Mubarak parliamentary elections. As a result of this campaign, a community member who was standing in-line to vote on Election Day informed one of ELECT’s NGO volunteers (who by chance stood nearby) that they had planned to vote for a candidate who had paid them a bribe until they received a text message from the NGO that read “The person who pays you a bribe to win will also pay a bribe for other things.” The voter said it reminded them of the urgent need to vote with their conscience and to yield positive change for their entire community and country.

Egypt ELECT! complemented its SMS Alerts campaign by further raising voter awareness through supporting the production of thoughtful and captivating videos, developed by Egyptians, that are being aired on Egyptian television, YouTube, and Facebook. Twelve 30-second electoral integrity media spots were aired prior to Egypt’s parliamentary elections. These same Egyptians are now building on their message formation and video production skills to develop and film three five-minute mini-dramas discussing their experiences during the parliamentary elections to be aired in the lead up to Egypt’s May 2012 presidential elections. To date, the 30-second media spots caught the attention of three Egyptian television stations which were so impressed with the quality and neutrality of content of the videos that they agreed to air the spots for free in the days leading up to and during the People’s Assembly elections; at least one spot was aired per hour within the first 24 hours of the campaign launch.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-primary”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

YEMEN: Small Victories Count – Livelihoods’ Project’s Emerging Entrepreneurs

May 22, 2012

3 min read

A year ago, Fater, a twenty-one-year-old from Yemen’s southern Abyan governorate, dreamt of having her own sewing machine, a seemingly small dream. But as an unemployed young adult, Fater’s dream appeared beyond reach especially considering the grim statistics. In Yemen 54 percent of university graduates and 44 percent of those with intermediate education are unemployed. Since 2006, the poverty rate has jumped from 37 percent to 42 percent. Yet, giving up was not an option for Fater. She began working as a volunteer for the Aljol Association which also offered her training in sewing and embroidery. That way, she thought, when the opportunity to purchase a sewing machine arrived, she’d be prepared to use it.

With few options for alternative employment, Fater jumped at the opportunity to participate in the initiative implemented by Creative’s Community Livelihoods Project (CLP) through its local grantee, the For All Foundation. The CLP was offering trainings on basic life skills, entrepreneurship capacity building and small business start- up mechanisms to 140 local youths. Working with her peers, Fater chose to establish an incense and aromatic products business. “We decided to go with that business because it provides great opportunities for income and the products are easy to produce and quick to sell,” said Fater. Her new venture, however, did not dissuade her from pursuing her original dream of becoming a seamstress, in fact it sped her capacity to pursue her dream. “I managed to save money and achieved my goal,” she said. “I bought a sewing machine from Aljol and I am paying them by installments. I make incense and it is helping me a lot to purchase my sewing materials.”

The 140 youth in the Community Livelihoods Project-supported received 10 days of trainings to design and plan for their small businesses. Twenty-three-year-old Adel, like Fater, anxious to be productive but saddled with prolonged unemployment proceeded to volunteer for the Blood Donors’ Association where he learned about the upcoming USAID-funded entrepreneurship trainings. “I was unemployed since 2009, before I got involved with the CLP project. I have a diploma in computer programming and before joining this CLP program, I hoped to get a government job that would help me to further finance additional studies.”

While it seemed an ambitious undertaking for first-time business partners, Adel and his team chose to establish a restaurant and a small vegetable and chicken shop. But they had carefully thought and researched their idea. Following the unrest and security events that have taken place in Abyan during the period June 2011 to the present, many families have fled Abyan to neighboring Aden, leaving them without any source of income, shelter or other basic needs. CLP and its grantee For All Foundation which works in Aden, saw the situation as an opportunity to help improve displaced families’ lives by harnessing the energies and ideas of unemployed youth to fill the gaps. “We chose our business ideas to fill the need of the community because Abyan is suffering from a very bad security situation which has led to large scale displacement of families. Many do not have cookware, or there are men with no one to cook for them, so it is a good idea to open a restaurant and provide a needed service as well as being a good business,”said Adel.

Though Adel says he does not intend to work at the business for the rest of his life, as he wants to continue his studies, the project has motivated him in many ways. “I feel different about myself in addition to being financially independent. I am not asking my parents for money anymore. And, I am using my time well, I feel happier. Before my mental state was quite bad, I had a lot of time with nothing to do. I imagine that if I didn’t get this chance, I would possibly follow the lead of some guys and join one of the several extremist groups which roam the region looking for young people to convince them to join them and work on their agenda.”

Not only is Adel making better use of his time, but he claims his income has improved by 70 percent. As for Fater, she says if it wasn’t for the USAID-CLP project, she would still be working as a volunteer and trying to find a way to purchase a sewing machine and to have an independent business. “The project has improved my income big time,” said Fater. “My income is now 80 percent better.”

LIBYA: Microsoft Corporation Teams with the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative and Creative to Empower Libya’s Emerging Civil Society

May 22, 2012

3 min read

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LIBYA:

Microsoft Corporation Teams with the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative and Creative to Empower Libya’s Emerging Civil Society

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Photo-op at partnership launch.

The Microsoft Corporation awarded a substantial grant of US $293,266 on March 27, 2012 to provide Microsoft software and professional training to Libyan civil society groups supported under the U.S. Department of State’s U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) through the Community-Driven Grants Program. This locally-driven initiative, implemented by Creative Associates International, is providing technical assistance to build the operating capacities and long-term sustainability of civil society organizations. The initiative encourages civic participation to improve community relationships with governmental and non-governmental institutions across Libya.

Following the 2011 revolution, talented young leaders began creating dynamic civil society organizations in Libya. MEPI’s Community-Driven Grants Program helps key organizations improve their institutional capacity to define a democratic and participatory context during this formative period in Libya’s political development. With funding from the U.S. Department of State, Creative provides grants to civil society organizations to enable them to augment activities which they have identified as advancing their missions. Complementary training helps these emerging leaders develop their administrative, financial, and programmatic capacity to sustain and deepen Libya’s process of democratic change. The Community-Driven Grants Program actively seeks opportunities for these civil society organizations to work with their own government to identify and address development and reform priorities.

Public Private Partnership benefits Libyan students.

Microsoft is helping fill a critical information technology infrastructure gap after decades of dictatorship. Despite having twice the per capita income of neighboring Egypt, Libya’s access to computer technology significantly lags behind Egypt’s. Internet reaches only 5.6% of Libyans, compared to 24% in Egypt and 33.9% in neighboring Tunisia. Many of these Libyan civil society activists have limited experience using technology to engage in political or social action. Connecting these activists with one another and the world and getting the right tools to them is a priority for their productivity and institutional development.

Civil society work demands regular communication to a wide range of audiences, including the development of flyers, brochures, reports, financial management and public presentations. By providing access to programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and helping train Libyans who were never exposed to these essential tools, Microsoft’s grant is substantially advancing efforts to help civil society groups to become better organized, effective, and sustainable.

Microsoft-sponsored trainings will help ensure Libyan civil society organizations can manage their finances and contact databases; develop written outreach materials and reports to better communicate their efforts; and prepare compelling public presentations using Microsoft’s powerful and sophisticated software tools. Licensed software will also protect these organizations from online security threats, viruses, and spam-ware engendered by pirated software.

This public-private partnership is supported under MEPI’s Information Technology Partnership Program (ITP), which links MEPI grantees with major IT corporations. Through the ITP, local NGOs in the Middle East and North Africa are able to access the latest computer software, hardware, and related training to improve the effectiveness of their projects, build organizational capacity, and assist with cementing the long-term sustainability of their work. MEPI’s ITP, with the assistance of Creative Associates International in Libya, is making a clear difference at a critical moment for courageous and dedicated citizens who are working to define a better future for themselves and their country.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-primary”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

JORDAN: Banking on Bona Fide Human Capital Through a Real-World Training Program

May 22, 2012

4 min read

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JORDAN:

Banking on Bona Fide Human Capital Through a Real-World Training Program

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Students market their wares during the MIS-Online exhibition.

Jordan is banking on its most precious capital asset to catapult it into the global marketplace. Versatile and agile, this capital increases its value with time and experience and is none other than young Jordanians themselves, so long as they receive multidisciplinary academic and career training.

The Education Reform Support Program, or ERSP, funded by USAID and implemented by Creative, is currently reaching more than 3,000 students in 120 Jordanian schools with an exciting e-learning program that builds entrepreneurial skills among 11th graders. The e-learning program, called MIS-Online, adapts a vocational training approach to an academic environment to produce graduates with versatile information technology skills, business acumen and the capacity to think critically and creatively—not to mention giving young people economic viability and ultimately having a stake in society; thus, leading to good citizenship.

Jordan’s sense of urgency about transforming its education system and the quality of its graduates is spurred by the country’s 15 percent unemployment rate which doubles to nearly 32 percent among young people. In 2009, nearly 70 percent of the population was under 30 years of age and adolescents accounted for 22 percent of the total population. According to a 2005 study by the European Training Foundation, the main causes of youth unemployment in Jordan are the lack of career guidance counseling and lack of opportunities to find satisfying work following graduation. In a nutshell, both high school and higher education graduates have difficulty obtaining jobs that match their education, and employers complain that the skills graduates traditionally bring do not meet their business needs.

Lacking the oil resources of many of its neighbors, Jordan quickly realized that its most valuable asset for engaging economically with the world is its human capital. His Majesty the King of Jordan—pointing to the source of creativity and entrepreneurial success that creates jobs—is reputed to have noted, “Jordan only has its brains to export.” The ERSP project is helping implement the Jordanian Ministry of Education’s national strategic plan for modernizing its education system known as the Education Reform for Knowledge Economy (ERfKE). ERSP is aligning schooling to the needs of the labor market by moving beyond traditional rote memorization and instead instilling analytical thinking and familiarity with and the capacity to work with technology.

Building a dream, young entrepreneurs at work with the MIS-Online application.

“Business education is stove-piped in Jordan and so we realized we needed to revamp the system and created MIS-Online with a committee of academic and private sector experts. It was a challenge to develop and integrate it into the curriculum and into the school day,” said Nilhan Siam, the Education Program Manager responsible for the MIS-Online Program. Blending hands-on experience with academic learning, the MIS-Online program is divided over the course of two scholastic semesters. During the first semester, students develop an idea, and conduct a feasibility study and implementation plan for a business. In the second semester, the students manage their business, learning how to present themselves professionally and understand critical concepts including production, quality assurance, personnel management, and problem solving. The program buttresses students with robust information resources and exposes them to career paths they might otherwise not know about or even consider.

“MIS-Online helped us link between school subjects and real life, giving no limits to thinking and the ability to harness our energy,” said twenty-one year old Ala’a Omran Ahmad Farouqa who participated in the MIS-Online program in 2007 when she was still in grade 11. “MIS-Online was the first step. It’s like walking on the red carpet. MIS-Online showed me capabilities that I didn’t know I had, including thinking outside the box. Students in the program were more prepared for the outside world, and more prepared than the ordinary students who didn’t participate in the program,” added Farouqa, now a third year student at the University of Jordan studying Public Administration.

Farouqa created an E-marketing guide as a result of her participation in the MIS-Online program which she continued to run for a couple of years thereafter. Given that Jordanian women are more likely to be unemployed, the program has given her a boost on many levels. Asked why she created the E-guide, her reply illustrates how this young woman’s perspective has changed: “I find marketing is fun, as it reflects my personality, there are always new things to do, marketing is the gateway for creativity – in my opinion – and because we all take a lot of time looking for what we want. Because time is money, and money talks, my E-guide helps to save a lot of time, as it helps consumers know where to go, how a product looks, the specifics, and everything that they need to know about it.”

According to Siam, teachers initially encountered a mixed reaction among students—some were enthusiastic while others expressed concern about the additional work. MIS-Online is thus far considered an enrichment program and requires four hours per week of classwork, besides the student-centered out-of-school team work. “But after they [students] take the course, they can taste the fruit of their efforts. They improve and discover the skills that they are good at and need to survive and thrive economically,” said Siam.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-primary”][/vc_column][/vc_row]