‘Teach me to fish’ initiative aims to empower Syrian youths

A training initiative called ‘teach me to fish’ was launched Sunday by the Levant Hospitality for Training and Development, the Arab Center for Training and the American University of Culture and Education in Lebanon in coordination with the Syrian Tourism Ministry.

The initiative, which depends on long programs and short ones, aims to train martyrs’ relatives and to employ them in cooperation with local partners, according to the Director of the Arab Center for Training Wisam Saleh, who clarified that the training programs will take place in Damascus, Lattakia, Tartous and Sweida.

“Martyrs have sacrificed their lives to protect the homeland, so it is our duty to offer an academic education to their relatives to help them to get a job,” Executive Director of the Levant  Eng. Mustafa Abbasi said.

While Director of Public Relations in the Levant stressed that university is a key and strategic supporter in the initiative as it offered 1500 certificates for free to empower youths. 

“There are 70 trainees in tourism studies plus 1500 in vocational training in the Levant center,” he added. 

The AUCE’s Deputy Rector Abdul MajedAbdil Ghani said that the crisis in Syria has left negative effects on university education. “There are a lot of Syrian youths in Lebanon and in Syria, who want to get experiences in order to get a job.”

On his part, Tourism Minister BeshirYazigy declared that the ministry has launched several initiatives to develop the youths’ skills in order to back the labour market.

“The ministry has signed several deals inside Syria and abroad to develop tourism sector,” he concluded.

It is said: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Basma Qaddour