Ramallah – Together – within the framework of its community activities and within the ‘Forsa’ program, for economic empowerment, and in response to the social and economic conditions, the Volunteer for Hope Charitable Association, in response to a request from representatives of institutions northwest of Jerusalem, which included civil society institutions and women’s groups in the Jerusalem Governorate, organized a meeting entitled ‘ ‘Challenges and Prospects for Development and Economic Empowerment in the Northwestern Areas of Jerusalem,’ today, Sunday, at its headquarters in the city of Ramallah, in the presence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Volunteer for Hope Association, A. Sylvia Abu Laban, the General Director of the Palestinian National Foundation for Economic Empowerment, Basem Dudin, and the Director of the Foundation’s Programs and Projects Department, Ibtisam Al-Husari. .

The workshop was opened by A. Abu Laban, welcoming the attendees, said that the holding of this meeting com
es at the request of representatives of women’s institutions in the region and women’s groups that contacted the Volunteer for Hope Association after the success achieved by the Association through the Opportunity Program during the year 2023-2024, and based on the Association’s effective role in contributing In social, economic and cultural development, its goal is to develop a volunteer association for hope in the light of difficult social and economic conditions and their impact on marginalized groups and to address the needs of citizens and support them in all available ways.

Abu Laban continued, ‘We attach special importance to the area of ????the villages northwest of Jerusalem, given the difficult conditions that the region suffers from and the occupation’s measures against those villages, and to strengthen the steadfastness of women and open horizons for small projects that meet the needs of families.’

Emphasizing that the Volunteer for Hope Association, in partnership with the Palestinian Foundatio
n for Economic Empowerment and within the opportunity program to achieve economic empowerment for women, would enhance social protection to move out of the cloak of aid and relief to enable them to become self-reliant through these projects.

For his part, Dodin said, ‘We are proud of our partnership with the Volunteer for Hope Foundation, as this has contributed to the implementation of dozens of projects, especially in the city of Jerusalem and the villages of the governorate in general, and we work to support the economic empowerment of families headed by women.’

Pointing out that empowerment is an opportunity for the advancement of families and self-reliance, and that the partnership between the Empowerment Foundation and Volunteer for Hope opens the way for opportunities to implement small projects, and these projects are followed up and the capabilities of the beneficiaries are built throughout the project period and they are followed up on an ongoing basis.

He said, ‘With the association, we have ach
ieved opportunities for success and we have been able to make a qualitative shift in the lives of the families who were granted projects and improve their conditions.’

During the workshop, the challenges and difficulties facing women’s groups and grassroots institutions were reviewed, including economic challenges, implementing women’s income-generating projects and ensuring their continuity, discussing and exploring opportunities for empowerment and economic development in the region, and exchanging ideas and experiences to enhance community and economic development in the region.

For their part, the representatives of the women’s institutions and groups who attended the meeting thanked the Volunteer for Hope Association for this response and holding the meeting, and pointed out its importance, which gave them the opportunity to think and present their initiatives towards implementing projects in the region that suffers from difficult economic conditions and is considered a gateway to Jerusalem, as this co
ntributes to alleviating the burdens. Relieve the burden of families headed by women and open partnerships for women’s institutions in the region with institutions with a common interest in issues of empowerment and the implementation of small projects.

Source: Maan News Agency