TALES OF IOM TVET PROJECT TRAINEES SUCCESSFUL TRAINEES

CASE 1.1: A NEW HOPE AGAINST ALL ODDS IN LIFE…

Nuria Ali Miris, aged 19 years old is a beneficiary of the TVET training programme funded by AfDB and implemented by IOM in Baidoa town. Nuria comes from a small and vulnerable household that mainly depend on casual works to secure their daily bread. She understands how difficult life is for unskilled and an unemployed women and more complex when living in a culture restricting women from realising their full economic potential.

Nuria was still hopeful and dedicated to find an empowerment opportunity that would make her realise her goals to become employable. Her dedication to overcome the life challenges she was facing led her to get enrolled in the first batch of the IOM TVET training programme.

As Nuria describes “My life took a better turn when I got admission in 6 months’ competency-based skills course of Tailoring and garment making at Modern Industrial Training Centre (MITC), a vocational training centre, sponsored by Urban Water Supply Project. The course not only helps me gain occupational skills in Tailoring but also preparing me to develop literacy & numeracy skills and soft skills needed to thrive well in the quest for a decent work”.

Nuria hopes to successfully complete her training course in Tailoring trade and become self-employed after the training by starting tailor shop to make a decent living and support her impoverished family. She is thankful to IOM and AfDB funded TVET training programme for empowering by giving her the opportunity to learn skill set which would lead her to actively participate in the labour market.

Nuria practically doing the different methods of stiches she was taught.

 CASE 1.2: THE TRAINING IS A BLESSING IN MY LIFE ….

Yasir Ahmed Abdalla is 24 years of age, he was born and brought up in the outskirts village of Baidoa town. He hails from a family of five including his mother and four siblings. Yasir is one of beneficiaries currently receiving economic empowerment support through the “Biyooley project” funded by AfDB.

Describing his life before the training, he said that he only attended lower primary school and he dropped out as a result of lack of school fees as his family depended on the little income generated by his mother through sales of charcoal in the local market which was not even enough to cover their basic needs.  He added “When I dropped out of school, I worked as a shoe shiner to support my family. I vender the street of Baidoa to make both ends meet, though it doesn’t pay a lot of money I managed to earn less than half a dollar a day from shoe shining”

When asked what motivated him to enroll in to the programme and take the course of electrical wiring and solar installation  he responded “ One of my ambition in life was to acquire quality education or work skills that can enable to meet not only my needs but that of my family. The skill I have chosen is a need in the labour market and has the potential to earn me a good income”.

He notes in response to a question on how he has so far benefitted from the basic employability training programme “I want to take this chance to thank my trainers and sponsoring agency for this far I have come. I have gained practical technical skills in the field of electrical wiring and Solar Installation. I currently have marketable work skills and other core skills that can help me step in the job market with full confidence”.

 CASE 1.3: SAVED FROM JOBLESSNESS…

Ibrahim Issack Hassan is a male trainee whose age is 25 years old and currently undergoing Plumbing and Pipe fitting skill training. Ibrahim counts himself as most luckiest beneficiary as he was enrolled at a time he was planning to undertake a peril illegal migration in search for greener pasture.  “My living condition was very bad. I barely found casual work opportunity to earn some income because of lack of employment skills and opportunities as well. I was disillusioned and had no hope to make in life until I found this training opportunity sponsored by AfDB through IOM. The opportunity was a relief for me”.

He was since his enrollment received an integrated employment skills training preparing him to join the plumbing occupation he was desiring. Describing the effects of the training on his social and personal life he said “I am able to write and read compared to my illiteracy situation when I first joined the training. I have gained technical skills during the last three and half month’s vocational training. The training was an eye opening and I look forward to contributing to our family income and support my younger siblings yearning for promising life”.

Ibrahim is talented and well-disciplined trainee who never missed any session from the class is now able to identify and carry out different plumbing techniques.