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First Round Graduation Ceremony of 92 Beneficiaries of Isteqlal VTC – OSAA
Time: 10:00 – 12:00 am
Date: 07.Aug.2018

Organization for Sustainable Aid in Afghanistan (OSAA) celebrated its first round of TVET graduation of different vocations today. These young and motivated graduates (female and male) are 18 from sewing machine repair, 22 from house wiring, 28 from handicrafts and 24 from rug weaving who have successfully completed six month training in Isteqlal VTC.
The training was offered based on Annual Research on Marketable Vocations in Herat province which is carried out by OSAA in order to facilitate job opportunities for the trainees after graduation. In the meantime, the graduates enter work market through OSAA EESC successive cooperation and advices.
Government and non-government officials including Mr. Afghan, Herat DoLSA head, Head of Labor unit of DoLSA, Help INGO, OSAA NGO, Mr. Shahir, Herat Experts Shura Head, Neswan Association, Deputy of Herat Mine and Industry Chamber, Deputy of Craftsmen Union, Labor Union Head, CRDSA, OSAA local company partners, 92 graduates and trainers of Isteqlal VTC and media participated in this ceremony.

At the beginning, Mrs. Elaha Banaey, OSAA director, welcomed guests and congratulated the first round graduation of Isteqlal VTC to the graduates.

She added that in late 2017, given the pressing need to TVET in order to create a platform for employment and self-sufficiency for the youth of the country, OSAA started TVET program. In January 2018, after rehabilitating and equipping Isteqlal VTC, 100 trainees joined OSAA TVET program. OSAA TVET program was offered in four vocations; sewing machine repair and house wiring for men and handicrafts and rug weaving for women and 92 beneficiaries completed the program successfully.
She said, “OSAA TVET program in Isteqlal VTC is funded by BMZ through Help INGO.” In addition to TVET training, trainees benefited from general education, small business training, field trips to sales and products services centers, customer behavior in the market, how to set up cooperatives, job facilitation services, Food for Training from WFP, transportation payment and toolkits.

At the end, she thanked Head of DoLSA and his colleagues, Mr. Zarifi, Mr. Faizi and Mrs. Tokhi, who cooperated with this organization to improve TVET training and added that effective comments of DoLSA, Help, WFP and other visitors caused positive changes in offering TVET. She also had a message to the graduates that: after graduation from this center, try to be in contact with OSAA EESC in order to receive services in job facilitation and setting up working groups to start small businesses.

Then, Mr. S. Abdul Tawab Hossaini, OSAA EESC manager, talked about EESC services for beneficiaries and graduates of TVET programs. He said that small business training is being offered for three months, 1.5hrs session/week for all trainees of OSAA and Help VTCs. He added that after graduation, EESC will distribute toolkits to the successful and motivated graduates and will help them set up their working groups.

Mr. Hossaini added that figures from tracer studies, carried out two and six months after graduation, show that 75% of Help TVET graduates are working in some sort of jobs and are able to make money.
At the end, he promised that EESC will hold Employment & Entrepreneurship Exhibition in Herat province in the next two months and the graduates’ services and domestic products will be shown in this exhibition. We try to make a link among TVET graduates and employers in this exhibition.

Then, the two graduates representing TVET graduated trainees expressed their support in running such programs and asked other donors to increase their attention and support on TVET for youth self-sufficiency. They added that before training they had no hope of their abilities and now with learning skills they feel empowered, can enter to the market and stand on their own feet.

Then Ms. Nazia Ghoryani, Deputy of Mojahedin Town Shura, said, “I am glad that I am in the youth graduation ceremony today while in these unfortunate situation of our country these young people can be the window of hope for the prosperity of our country. Also, besides training, keeping Afghan handicrafts alive such as rug weaving is an effective step towards the development of our country.”

Then, Mr. Shahir, Head of Herat Experts Council, said, “This is a very different ceremony than other graduation ceremonies because work opportunities are available for these graduates in the market. As students graduate from universities, I am so worried about how these young people find jobs! But today, I am sure these young graduates can enter the market by learning a vocation. I thank the organizations that design and plan such programs so the youth stay in our country and stand on their own feet.”

Following that, Mr. Abdul Qayoum Afghan, Head of Herat DoLSA, described TVET as a huge achievement and added that this program is very effective for our youth in the society. He also said that by organizing such training programs one of the major goals of the government which is building the capacity of youths and job creation will be fulfilled.
He added, “I appreciated OSAA for repairing sewing machines of DoLSA VTC in Isteqlal VTC and said that this shows the beneficiaries have learnt their lessons perfectly and they can set up their own business and the society needs them.” He also congratulated this graduation to the graduates and all stakeholders of the program.

At the end of the program, toolkits and graduation certificates which were prepared by OSAA were distributed to all graduates to start their own small businesses.

Source: OSAA Project Unit.