The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development has approved a grant of $570,000 to help finance four capacity building projects designed to address the urgent needs of hard hit communities in the West Bank. Resources will be divided among non-profit, non-governmental organizations.
The Society of Ina'sh El-Usra in Al-Bireh will receive a $150,000 grant to modernize equipment and improve course curricula at vocational training centers that specialize in teaching sewing and computer skills, allowing them to accommodate double the number of participants.
Another $150,000 will be provided to the Early Child Resource Center in Jerusalem to support an in-service teacher training and capacity building program, which aims to provide professional training for existing providers of early childhood education and development in Nablus, Ramallah, Jerusalem and Hebron.
The Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation (BASR) will
be extended $120,000 to help finance the establishment of a vocational training program for the disabled at BASR's main center in Bait-Jala. Courses will be created that are relevant to current market needs and comprise the latest technologies.
Finally, some $150,000 will go towards the Hawwa Center for Culture and Arts, Nablus, to help establish a Kana'ni House for impoverished women, which will offer professional courses and short-term training in subjects such as business management, office administration, computer skills and handicrafts.
This is the fifth grant approved under the Fund's Special Grant Account for Palestine, which was set up with an initial endowment of $10 million. The first grant was approved in December 2002 to provide financial support to Palestinian universities and students; a second extended earlier this year helped finance the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged homes and public buildings; a third helped purchase emergency medical equipment and supplies for Palestinian hospitals and clinics; while the fourth co-financed seven social projects. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
