Amman, 28 March 2022 – UNDP, in cooperation with Habibi Valtiberina, has organized an awards ceremony to mark the completion of Vocational and On-the-Job training activities under the Enhancing Self-Reliance and Inclusion Prospects for Displaced-Affected Communities (vulnerable Iraqi and Host Communities) project, with the participation of the Italian Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Luciano Pezzotti, UNDP Resident Representative Randa Aboul-Hosn and Mr. Emilio Cabasino, Director of AICS in Amman. The project is generously funded by the Italian Government through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), under the UNDP Heart of Amman programme, and aims at promoting a holistic approach to self-reliance and community cohesion for all who call Amman home.

200 project beneficiaries, 50% from the Iraqi community and 50% from vulnerable Jordanian communities, 68% of them women, were selected among the most vulnerable Iraqi and Jordanian communities to attend one of the 11 Vocational training, followed by an On-the-job training period, available in different sectors - mosaic and ceramic installation, food production, child health care, secretarial/administrative assistant, hairdresser, solar systems installation, agriculture, men cut and barber, leather crafting, make-up artistry, fashion design – as well as English, soft and entrepreneurship skills training. 15 persons affected by mental disabilities were engaged in agriculture Vocational and On-the job training. Through these different entrepreneurial and skills building activities, project participants acquired necessary proficiency to be employed in existing businesses as well as to start their own micro and small businesses, hence enhancing their economic self-reliance opportunities.

The Italian Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Luciano Pezzotti, had the opportunity to meet the project beneficiaries and noted: “I am proud to witness one of the tangible outcomes of this programme funded by Italy, which was developed with the aim of supporting the Iraqi community in Jordan, together with vulnerable members of the Jordanian hosting community, in the difficult time they face, especially after the Covid pandemic, in line with the approach of “Leaving no one behind”, to foster social cohesion and the improvement of  their livelihood opportunities”.

Mr. Emilio Cabasino, Director of AICS in Amman, praised the work of the beneficiaries. “The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation hopes that with our support in developing entrepreneurial and technical skills, all these talented women and men will maximize the benefit of the training and use their expertise to launch successful and growing start-ups that would match the business market in Jordan and therefore ensure self-reliance and self-confidence, also leading to sustainability in the longer-term and enhanced socio-economic inclusion”.

Ms. Randa Aboul-Hosn, UNDP Resident Representative, stressed how this project stands as one of the first projects in Jordan supporting vulnerable Iraqi refugees, alongside Jordanian host communities. “Through an integrated approach and well-balanced project components which include advocacy/social cohesion and livelihoods activities, the project has informed on lessons learnt in various dialogue platforms particularly contributing to the NEXUS/HDPN, the future of the refugee response and advocacy activities on the one refugee approach. It has proven to be inspiring also in terms of providing viable livelihoods pathways and to enable self-reliance for non-Syrian refugees”.

The ceremony was followed by an open bazaar where the project beneficiaries proudly presented and sold the products produced during the training period. Khalida, one of the beneficiaries attending leather crafting training, stated: “I did not know how to work leather before participating into this project. Now I have new ideas and the possibility to start my own business to sustain me and my family. This project gave me a new chance in life”.