US Government supports UNICEF in protecting children from winter cold
US Government has empowered 160 of Lebanon’s vulnerable youth through income-generating and social activities, enabling the production of 15,000 winter kits for children bearing the brunt of winter
- Available in:
- English
- العربية
UNICEF and United States Government empower Lebanon’s youth while protecting its vulnerable children from winter’s chill.
With youth unemployment in Lebanon at record levels, UNICEF continues to implement an innovative Employment Support Service programme providing training and work to thousands of the country’s youth while paying them a living wage as they learn.
In partnership with The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) and Anera, UNICEF provides youth with training courses to empower them through the attainment of new skills.
Part of the programme, funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM), has allowed one-hundred and sixty of Lebanon’s vulnerable youth to engage in income-generating and social activities, including the production of 15,000 winter kits for vulnerable children in Lebanon.
The winter kits were produced by eighty Lebanese youths and eighty refugee youths. All involved were out of school and enrolled in UNICEF’s skills-building programme.
They received sewing skills training and have manufactured winter clothes, including jumpsuits and blankets for babies and hoodies, thermal sets, jackets, and blankets for children and youths.
This initiative also supports the Lebanese economy that was heavily impacted by compounded crises by buying raw materials from the local market, working through local workshops, and engaging local employees.
For Bassem El Kadi, Anera’s North Area Manager, other than simply learning sewing skills, he views the project as one which gave the youth a safe space to work and gave them hope. “It provided them with life skills,” he says. “It helped show them how to solve their problems, evolve their ideas, and improve their skills in a profession.”
The big-hearted aspect was not lost on the programme’s participants. Twenty-three-year-old trainee Mohamad commented that, while income generation was the prime reason for joining the course, as he can now support his family through his earnings – a vital benefit was in knowing that he was making clothing that vulnerable children will be wearing this winter.
Inspired by his experience, Mohamad now hopes to open a tailoring studio of his own.
“I used to work in construction,” he says. “I wanted to make a change in my life. Now, when people ask me what I do, I say I am a tailor”, he smiles.
Fellow participant, 24-year-old Moz, eagerly stressed how training on the programme opened her horizons.
“I met people of other nationalities,” she says. Speaking of her time on the course, she reported how moving outside her typical social circles boosted her confidence and self-esteem.
All participants, now equipped with tailoring skills, are empowered to approach potential employers within the tailoring sector.
While Lebanon’s economic challenges may continue for some time to come, UNICEF and the United Stated Government remain focused on empowering its youth to become the nation’s valuable human capital and, through the Cash 4 Work programme, are working to ensure youth are equipped to contribute to their society in practical ways.
UNICEF thanks the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, for funding this project that not only empowers youth but has resulted in the production of winter kits that will help keep vulnerable children in Lebanon warm and healthy.
Around 15,000 winter kits were manufactured, including blankets, underwear, thermal sets, hoodies, tracksuits, jackets, general outerwear, socks, and bodysuits. The winter kits will be distributed to 567 babies aged 0-1 years; 1,090 children aged 1-3 years old; 8,678 children aged 4-12; 1,870 adolescents aged 13-18, and 1,870 young men and women aged 19-24 years. The work was carried out at five local tailor workshops.