‘Khbrat’ advertises for free courses in mid-term break

 Syria’s youths in Damascus and its countryside have an opportunity to join free training courses during the February mid-term break.

The advertisement about the courses has been put on the Facebook of the Khbrat initiative launched by the Syria Trust of Development in 2011. [Khbrat is a slang means: experiences].

Thus far, members of the ‘Khbrat’ Facebook (Facebook.com/groups/khbrat ) reached up to 6000.

“This year, the initiative is to hold new additional courses about how to write an e-mail in a professional way, telephone marketing, mass media appearance, and the seven habits,” the initiative’s general coordinator, Mr. Alaa Ed-Din al-Aeedy, told the Syria Times reporter.

 He added that the courses, which target university and school students (aged 17-35), also include activities about writing successful plan on projects’ management, human resources, body language, communication skills, and public relations.

Initiative’s goal

“The fresh courses have been defined according to youths’ requirements,” al-Aeedy said, stressing that the initiative’s goal is to meet society’s needs.

These courses are to be held in Damascus (in Baramkeh and Mezzah) and Damascus countryside (in Jaramana) as most of the youths, who are interested in the courses are living in these areas.

“Our strategy is to reach the youths everywhere,” al-Aeedy said.

He sees that it is better for youths to join such free of charge courses instead on staying at home during their break time.

“It is true that a lot of youths are travelling abroad, but it will be useful to follow the courses to enter job market wherever.”

“We are planning to train trainers in 3-4 months and we expect a great successful in this regard,” al-Aeedy said.

Policy changed

In fact, the current circumstances in the country have led to change the initiative’s policy which was depending on paying visits to factories that are partners in the initiative.

Most of the factories, especially in areas in Damascus countryside were closed down because of terrorist attacks. So, the initiative is benefiting from the experiences of trainers in those factories.

Now, the new policy is based on holding workshops and training courses in the above mentioned areas (Baramkeh, Mezzah, and Jaramana).

Media sector

As for partners, al-Aeedy said: “Besides the main partners, the initiative has now new ones in media sector such as e-Syria, al-Madina FM, Rotana style FM,  Sawt el-Shabab radio, sawt al-Shaab radio, and Damascus radio.”

Participants in the courses are to visit the media centers in order to be briefed on the mechanism of working.

Funding

However, the serious problem that faces developing the initiative’s work is funding the advanced courses.

“Funding means development to a professional level,” al-Aeedy said, adding that there is a ‘good’ logistic and media support for the initiative.

“But we need financial support to hold professional courses. We are communicating with businessmen to receive such support. “

The Trust is funding society’s needs according to priorities. “Now the top priority is for food and medicine”.

Despite the circumstances, the initiative is seeking to expand its work across Syria through, initially, opening centers in Lattakia and Hama provinces.

Youths in shelters

Moreover, the initiative is going to make a survey in the shelters to ask youths there about their needs as regards courses.

“University students’ number in the shelters is 25-50,” al-Aeedy said.

It is reported that the Trust is supervising 16 shelters in Damascus where displaced citizens, who have fled their homes over the past year, are temporary living.

The Syria Trust for Development is a non-governmental, non-profit organization established in 2001 to empower individuals and communities in Syria to fulfill their role in building their society and shaping their future.

Basma Qaddour