30 Apr 2018 – 7:56
The Peninsula
DOHA: The European Union has granted €5m to Silatech to implement a youth and women empowerment project in Yemen.
Silatech, is an international non-governmental social development organization that works to connect young people to jobs and expand economic opportunities through employment and entrepreneurship.
It has submitted an innovative proposal in early 2017 for a European Union grant of € 5 Million Euro –– aiming to achieve stability in Yemen through the empowerment of youth and women and the achievement of financial inclusion for the vulnerable and marginalized groups of the Yemen society.
The organization has been successful in obtaining the grant due to its ongoing efforts in conflict-affected areas in which other organizations have refrained from working.
The project aims to improve the current economic situation in Yemen by alleviating poverty and improving the living conditions of young people in order to protect them from extremist ideologies.
Silatech will establish a grant fund implemented by its field partner Al Amal microfinance Bank which will provide grants to more than 10,000 youth ages 18-35, in addition to providing training to 5,000 young people to enable them to benefit from the fund.
The initiative supports Yemeni women as they represent 60 percent of the targeted youth in the project, seeking to achieve a world in which youth including young women are involved in the economic development of their societies.
Silatech contributes to the fifth goal of the SDGs that aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls through introducing programs designed to enable work and livelihood opportunities for women who suffer from lack of access to an appropriate level of education and jobs in rural and conflict-affected areas.
Since its establishment in 2008, Silatech has been working to empower young people and create employment opportunities for them in Yemen. Despite the severe crises and wars, and the challenges that face civil action; Silatech has managed to double its efforts believing in the active role of youth in development and its approach to responding to challenges and crises before they are exacerbated.
