World Youth Skills Day 2023
by Anera
Posted in: Days of Observance
July 15 is World Youth Skills Day, a day observed by the United Nations to celebrate the creativity and resilience of youth, and to recognize the importance of giving young people training and skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
Building A Better Lebanon with Our Hands
Anera’s collective efforts over the years have pushed back against the harsh realities in Lebanon by working to provide a sense of structure and normalcy for youth. We have brought many thousands of young people back into classrooms and have trained them in employable skills. Ultimately, improving their lives, enriching their communities and building a better future for coming generations.
World Youth Skills Day 2022
On #WorldYouthSkillsDay, we want to recognize powerful youth! Young people today in Lebanon, Gaza, and beyond face challenges ranging from high education costs to lack of work opportunities post-graduation. Anera’s Youth Empowerment, Education, and Employability programs allow these students to learn skills they would not have learned in school, which enables them to succeed. We celebrate the resilience of young people today and remain committed to helping them overcome challenges beyond their control. Read about some of the young people staying active in their communities below.
Atiya, 18, dropped out of school in sixth grade because his family lacked the financial resources and now lives in a refugee camp in Tripoli, Lebanon after fleeing the Syrian war in 2011. Atiya found day work as a porter but a spinal injury limited what he could do to make a living. He turned to Anera’s 40-day vocational training course in welding. “I learned about the course through social media and I enrolled to acquire a profession that could help me change my reality for the better,” explains Atiya.
Lamis, 21, is a student in Anera and UNICEF’s two-week long, accelerated and extensive construction training class. She joined this course to pursue her longstanding interest in construction. “I want to learn from this course more about construction and gain experience to expand my horizons in the future.”
Karen, 22, is a Lebanese resident of B’kaata town studying interior architecture and construction at the Lebanese University, a profession that has been handed down in her family. Karen wants to carry on her “family’s legacy” by working with Anera and UNICEF’s accelerated and extensive construction training class to improve their family business. “I am aware that in Lebanon, the construction field is dominated by men, but I believe that women can do anything they want, and no profession should be monopolized by men or women,” says Karen.
Omar, 22, is a Palestinian sewing apprentice who hopes to own his own sewing workshop one day. He is taking part in Anera’s vocational sewing training course to help local Palestinian refugee families and children get the clothes they need for winter. “I didn’t have any sketching skills, which is one of the basics for sewing,” he says, “but I improved so much after joining this course.” Omar thinks that young people play an important role in the development of society. “Just like we are doing here in this course, we are taking and giving all at once. We gain knowledge and give back to the community.”
Iman is a Lebanese resident of the Bekaa Valley. She had to leave school in the seventh grade. Since then she has enrolled in many trainings and courses to expand her work opportunities. She found Anera’s vocational training in dairy farm management, “I am specifically interested in cheese manufacturing, and finding a job in this field. This course gave me enough experience to work in farms and dairy factories.”
Omar is a Syrian refugee and resident of the Bar Elias area. Like so many refugees, he dropped out of school in the sixth grade, due to financial reasons. “We have been in Lebanon since the beginning of the war in Syria,” he says. “The area we came from was heavily bombed, so we were forced to flee immediately to Lebanon. I love this field of work. I want to learn more about raising livestock. I hope to establish a private farm in Syria in the future.”
Firas (far-right), 20, is a Palestinian resident of Ein El-Hilweh camp, who dropped out of school in ninth grade, but has struggled to find work. “After several failed attempts to find a job, I found myself spending most of my time with friends without a clear vision for the future.” Firas found his calling in Anera’s training courses and now he wants to open a business with his mom (center). “I learned how to make all kinds of mouneh from pickling, chilly paste, makdous, and all kinds of jams.
Sara’, 23, is a Syrian with a bachelor degree in informational technology. She worked hard to enroll and graduate from university, but lacked any form of a job opportunity. Without the money to pursue her MA, she struggled for some time until she found Anera’s training course on coding. “For me, bettering my mental health meant finding a purpose. So I focused on my technical skills — and one of the things I did was to join this course.” Sara’ is generating income to support herself and her family and is on her way towards recovery. “I designed a number of video games in this course, and I was surprised and impressed by my programming abilities.”
Razan, 18, got her high school diploma last year but couldn’t afford to go on to university. Now, Anera is training young people like Razan to create vases and centerpieces out of discarded cups and other containers. She chose to volunteer in charitable societies and participate in training courses to gain experiences that would allow her to find a profession. “In this way I’ll benefit myself and also transfer my experiences to my community. I want to help my community and not go unnoticed in this life.”
Anera believes that when people have the right tools, lives can transform for the better! As refugees and citizens of the Middle East alike deal with hardship, young people are no exception to the share of hard work and dedication radiating throughout the region. Anera’s 2022 Annual Gala is raising funds to provide tools of all kinds – from wrenches and sewing machines to new schools and training – so that the communities we serve can create their own change and help hope find a way.
Learn more at anera.org/gala
Read through the full stories about Anera’s Youth Empowerment, Education, and Employability programs on our website, anera.org/anera-stories/
World Youth Skills Day 2021
July 15 is World Youth Skills Day, a day meant to celebrate the creativity and resilience of youth, and also to recognize the importance of giving young people the training and skills for employment and entrepreneurship. At Anera, our youth education programs are a priority, as we recognize the significance of this day and helping young people succeed.
Anera offers both formal vocational training and non-formal skills courses, partnering with local institutions to make sure young people have access to quality vocational education in new and emerging fields. In recognition of World Youth Skills Day, here are three of our programs and projects that are helping young people in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan prepare for their future.
PLUS program: This program produces professional software engineers in just 16 weeks using a curriculum developed in Silicon Valley. The young participants from Palestine come out of this program with market-ready, adaptable coding skills, prepared to enter and thrive in a demanding industry.
Culinary training: As part of Anera’s youth vocational education program, 40 students in the Bekaa Valley are learning the basics of culinary arts and healthy cooking. The students are able to enhance their culinary skills by cooking specialized hot meals for families and individuals in quarantine, while also earning a daily income through Anera’s cash-for-work program.
Basic math and literacy: Anera is helping young women develop critical literacy, math, writing and life skills for their futures at the Bhannine Social Skills Center, one of Anera’s local partners in Lebanon. The center is an educational safe space for girls and women between the ages of 10 and 30.
Thanks to your support, Anera is able to run these programs and many others, helping young people across Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan develop crucial skills to prepare for employment, entrepreneurship and a brighter future.
