Two hundred unemployed youth, including 75 women, belonging to refugees-hosting areas were provided kits and certificates after completion of training in different trades on Thursday.
The training programme was organised by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) under Unesco-and Raha-II project. The unemployed youth from union council Sufaid Dheri, University Town, Malakand Dher Peshawar district and Jamrud and Landikotal tehsils of Khyber Agency were provided training.
Minister for Sports, Tourisms,Archaeology Museums and Youth Affairs Mehmood Khan, Director for Unesco Asia and Pacific Region Gwanj-Jo Kim, Country Director Unesco Dr Kozu Kay Nagata and government officials attended the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said the provincial government was committed to encouraging the private-public cooperation. “The unemployment in the country could be overcome only through innovative ways,” he said, adding the Unesco-SRSP efforts were encouraging and the government would extend all possible help to all such initiatives.
“Such training initiatives are the part of provincial government’s policies for ending unemployment. We need programmes that promote harmony, revitalise the fragile economy, and replenish incomes of the people through livelihood strengthening activities,” he maintained.
The refugees presence in KP and Fata, he said, had multiplied the socio-economic problems of the residents of the hosting areas.
“The Unesco-Raha-II and other such UNDP programmes initiated in KP and Fata are essential to sustainable development and peace,” he added.
Director Unesco Asia and Pacific Region Gwanj-Jo Kim said that the prevailing challenges could be overcome only through providing training to youth to engage them in healthy activities.
“I hope the training will help the youth earn livelihood in a dignified manner for their families,” he added.
SRSP Chief Executive Officer Masoodul Mulk in his welcome address said as leading non-profit/non-government organisation, the SRSP was working in KP and Fata for improving the quality of life of the people. “We have been doing this for over two decades. At the heart of our programme is a simple idea that the communities residing in this difficult environment have the capacity for self-help which can be tapped for their development and for humanitarian work. This can be done by an organisation which is flexible, responsible, adaptive and accountable and learning and can win the trust of the communities. The SRSP plays this catalyst role,” he added.
He added the organisations like Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council, Fata Secretariat special projects, CIDA Fata Project and AusAid, LSP , World Bank PPAF and SDC have used the SRSP’s training centre for training beneficiaries and members.
Dr Usman Ghani, SRSP project coordinator, said the objectives of the training project were self-employment and income generation; promote social harmony, peace and development; Productive engagement of youth and better human resource utilisation.
He added that the training trades included electrician, plumbing, welding, mobile repair and computer hardware repair for men, tailoring and beautician courses for women.
Our correspondent in Landikotal adds: As many as 500 jobless youth of Khyber Agency completed four-month technical training, officials said on Thursday.
In this connection a certificates and tool-kits distribution ceremony was held at the Peshawar Technical Centre, which was attended by a large number of tribespeople, government and Refugee-Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) officials.
Speaking as the chief guest, Deputy Director Projects of the Fata Secretariat Daud Jan Afridi said the skilled tribal youth could play a role in promotion of business activities in Khyber Agency.
Source: The News.
