Taiz:

Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at the Taj Shamsan Hotel in Taiz, the Organization for Awareness and Development, Generations Without Qat, organized an event entitled Inspiring Youth (listening sessions) in the presence of a group of young men and women in the districts of Al-Qaherah and Mudhaffar in Taiz governorate, as well as civil society organizations and the local authority As part of the Promoting Community Participation and Building the Capacity of Civil Society Organizations, Women’s Groups, Women’s and Youth Initiatives, and Activating Their Roles in Society, implemented by the Organization #GenerationsWithout_Qat_Awareness_Development in the districts of Al-Qaherah and Al-Mudhaffar in #Taiz Governorate.

The event was inaugurated by the project manager, Hamid Khaled, who spoke about the path of Generations Without Qat in humanitarian work and building community peace, in addition to the organization's rapid response activities and relief support for conflict-affected communities in multiple sectors, including providing food, livelihoods, health, and water promotion. Sanitation and education, in addition to managing and coordinating camps and shelter, and how Generations Without Qat strives to achieve the goals it has set to push young men and women to community participation, build community peace and participate in decision-making.

Hamid Khaled also spoke about the project to enhance community participation, build the capacities of civil society organizations, women's and youth initiatives, and activate their roles in society.

 He said that "the project, in its first phase, worked on building the capacities of 15 civil society organizations and women's groups, as well as 15 women's and youth initiatives in the Al-Qaherah and Mudhaffar districts on community peacebuilding, governance, social accountability, advocacy, coalition building, leadership, communication, gender, peaceful activism, and sustainable development, in addition to training authority cadres. Local authorities in the two directorates on strategic planning and sustainable development to strengthen relations between youth and the local authority and contribute to decision-making.

He stated that these organizations and initiatives received small grants to implement activities that promote community peace and participation in decision-making. He stressed that 28 projects are currently being implemented in the field, implemented by 28 civil society organizations, women's groups, and youth and women's initiatives in the districts of Al-Qaherah and Mudhaffar.

For his part, Mr. Abdo Ali - Director of the Office of Social Affairs and Labor in Taiz Governorate, spoke during the opening, about the importance of the work of the civil society in the governorate and the roles it plays in these conditions.

He said that Generations Without Qat Organization plays important roles in working with local communities in the Republic of Yemen, including Taiz Governorate, in various sectors. He pointed out that such a project plays a major role in motivating young men and women to play important roles in change, decision-making, and building community peace, which we desperately need at this stage.

That was followed by three speakers, male and female, giving inspiring presentations for young men and women in community work that contributes to building peace and participating in decision-making.

The first presentation was made by the speaker Akram Al-Sharabi, who introduced himself as a contributor to promoting community works and is the founder of the Renaissance Youth Association for the Development of the Poorest Groups, which focuses its goals and cares about the issues of marginalized groups in Yemen, in addition to his work as a director of several development projects and initiatives that promote the advancement of marginalized groups from For the positive social participation and political participation of the marginalized and marginalized and to contribute to building community peace and decision-making.

In his speech, Al-Sharabi touched on the many obstacles that stood in front of him as a marginalized person in society, a cleaner, then a supervisor, and how he overcame them and made them a motive for persistence and ambition to deliver the voice of the marginalized and represent them throughout Yemen and work to find equality because there is no difference between white and brown, and his insistence on continuing education until graduation from a law student at Taiz University. Referring to his contributions to promoting community peace through his work with marginalized groups and in coordination with many agencies and organizations to help this group in terms of education, health, and emergency response, such as distributing water, food, and hygiene kits, integrating them into society, delivering their voices to decision-makers, and increasing community participation activities for this group, In addition to training several young men and women in the field of advocacy, community participation, reporting, inclusive governance, accountability, and gender, forming youth and feminist groups.

The second presentation was also presented by Hossam Shehab, who confirmed that the last three years for him were an important stage in his life and a turning point and a turning point, a turning point from an active young man with many youth initiatives and civil society organizations to a young project leader who seeks to offer a lot to society and make real change and impact in society. One of the most prominent experiences is leading the Wasl Peace Initiative and working in it as a youth initiative that has done a lot for many years and transforming it into an officially recognized and authorized institutional entity through which it seeks to empower young people and create an effective role for them in society to seek peace and support local mediation efforts in several issues: such as the exchange of prisoners, the opening of the crossings and other issues.

He indicated that he contributed to working with a group of community initiatives and civil society organizations with various activities and projects such as coordinating and organizing entrepreneurship events, International Volunteer Day events, as well as in the field of debates, sessions, seminars, and other activities that contribute to strengthening the efforts of young people in society.

While the third presentation was presented by Aisha Jabbari, "Head of Weam Youth Initiative", who spoke about her meningitis and hearing loss at the age of (3) years, accompanied by paralysis and loss of movement.

She said, "She recovered from paralysis at the age of (5), but the hearing disability began to accompany her, and here her suffering began throughout her life." She stated that she "joined the school in her village and was the only one suffering from this disability, and that this matter was a great challenge for her, especially as she was facing bullying from her fellow students and the lack of acceptance from her community" and that "at the age of ten she moved to Taiz city on her own to enroll in deaf schools and She completed her secondary education, joined the university, and graduated from the Computer Programming Department with a GPA of 94.

Jabari worked to develop her capabilities through the many training courses she attended. She confirmed that "My contribution to development program had the greatest impact in her life, making her strengthen her efforts in community work and help the deaf and dumb category, as she worked to establish Weam Youth Initiative, through which she implemented many projects for this category and trained them, and that one of the most beautiful things that she provided to the deaf and dumb category." It is an economic empowerment project for deaf and dumb girls.