Ammon News - AMMONNEWS – Under the Patronage of USAID Mission Director Beth Paige and H.E Dr. Talal Abu Ghazaleh, Youth for the Future (Y4F), a program of the International Youth Foundation (IYF) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and carried out in partnership with the Government of Jordan, launched a range of new youth services at That Al Netaquein, a women’s charity association located in central Ghor. Attending the launch were officials from USAID, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org), Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC), British Council, and Zaha Cultural Center. Also present were several local partners from the area, including the Governor of Deir Alla, charity and youth associations, as well as That Al Netaquein beneficiaries and their families.

That Al Netaquein is one of several community-based organizations (CBOs) Y4F has partnered with over the past two years to enhance the level of services offered to youth and increase their employability. As part of its nationwide efforts, Y4F supported the establishment of new facilities at That Al Netaquein to provide local youth with training and employment opportunities. The new facilities include a Career Guidance and Life Skills Center, as well as an IT Club offering training certificates accredited by the University of Cambridge, and set up in collaboration with TAG-Org.

Also launched was a Youth Creativity Center, co-established with Zaha Cultural Center, offering art, music, Arabic calligraphy, and handicraft training programs and an English Club, set up in partnership with the British Council, providing English training courses carried out using drama, storytelling, and online interaction.

The new facilities were established based on the interests of local youth and are supervised by a team of IYF-trained specialists. That Al Netaquein’s trained staff is now able to engage with trainees in an interactive manner through youth-friendly approaches that promote creativity and enhance the skills required for them to successfully enter the job market.

During the visit, That Al Netaquein signed an agreement with TAG-Org to provide accredited certificates from the University of Cambridge to training graduates. A group of officials also toured the new facilities, meeting with trainees who have secured jobs and with representatives of the social leadership initiative, Mazra’ti. The officials learned firsthand about the new career guidance, youth creativity, and English instruction services offered by the CBO to provide youth with productive leisure-time activities.

Commenting on the launch of the new youth services at That Al Netaquein, USAID Mission Director, Beth Paige, said, “A key ingredient to the success of any program is measured by the leadership and local ownership of CBO’s such as That Al Netaquein. This organization demonstrated its commitment to serving youth at risk and opened its doors to the community to a supportive environment for youth in the area”.

About building the capacity of staff and workers in local communities, HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh said:" Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization tries to maximize efforts to locate all resources to share and cooperate with bodies and institutions that contribute to the growth and development of communities, especially those related to building the capacity of staff and workers in local communities. We are proud to be part of this event."

Highlighting the success that That Al Netaquein has achieved in partnership with Y4F, IYF Jordan Country Director, Rana Al Turk, said, “We are proud of the successes that That Al Netaquein has achieved in partnership with Y4F in such a short period of time. That Al Netaquein was able to build its capacity and is now equipped to enhance young people’s employability prospects through technical and life skills trainings that ultimately benefit their families and communities. This is achieved through close collaboration with local community organizations in central Ghor, including vocational training centers, labor directorates and youth centers.”

Also in attendance at the event were the families of trainees benefiting from the services who are encouraged to actively support their children.

The visit concluded with a session featuring Jordanian folklore dances and performances by the trainees.