CREATE Program in Yemen Empowers Youth to Challenge Themselves

By Asmaa Uqba, Reporting & Communications Officer, Global Communities Yemen
During my visits to the Vocational Training institute, I encountered some trainees that caught my attention. These young people came from different villages in the Lahj governorate, which is located in the southern part of Yemen. Global Communities, through the USAID-funded Continued Recovery, Emergency Assistance, and Training Engagement in Yemen (CREATE) program, provided a chance for those trainees to learn, evolve, become empowered and challenge themselves to enter the work force with refined skills that will improve their livelihoods.

Salama Saleh, is a young woman, engaged to be married soon. She was raised among three sisters and four brothers in an open-minded family. Salama is very shy person; she depends totally on her brothers and sisters for buying her clothes and taking her out whenever she needs to. “I got excited when Global Communities considered me to participate in the Vocational Training under the CREATE Yemen program,” Salama says about a cosmetology training provided by the program. “Before attending the cosmetology class, I knew nothing about applying makeup, cutting hair, or dying hair; but now my skills have transformed and empowered me,” Salama said. She told me that on her first day of the training, she got lost since she is not used to going out. Since then, Salama has not only gained skills but has also transformed into a confident young woman. She has plans to work from her husband’s house and start a new life with the passion and hope of earning her own income since the area she will be moving to is lacking hairdressers. “I will use the toolkit that Global Communities provided me to work from home and earn my private income, not depending on other people any longer,” Salama said.

Ayman Ali from the Qubaita district in the Lahj governorate is attending an Electricity and Solar Energy training. Ayman said, “In our village we rely on grazing and making coal for living.” Ayman and his family lives in Al Maaqam village where they lack basic services such as electricity and water. Most of the population relies on solar energy to run electricity for daily usage. Ayman is eager to use the toolkit that Global Communities supplied him and his colleagues to contribute, serve and support his community; reinforcing his skills and abilities obtained during the training. He says, “Global Communities bestowed upon me a good opportunity to reform my life, support my family, and improve my livelihood.”