Youths from 4 Afghan refugee hosting districts complete skill training

PESHAWAR: Seventy-one youths belonging to four Afghan refugee-hosting districts completed three months of skill training at the Human Resource Development Centre of the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) and were awarded certificates and tools here on Wednesday.

The training was organised under “the improving resilience and economic growth of the vulnerable segment of the Afghan refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” project funded by the Netherlands.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Industries and Commerce Abdul Karim Khan distributed the certificates among the youths belonging to Peshawar, Swabi, Nowshera and Haripur.An SRSP official said the youths were selected after gaining confidence in the communities. They were provided training in mobile repair, plumbing, and electrician.

He said 34 youths from host communities and 37 Afghan refugees completed the training. The official said that the project was aimed at fostering social cohesion between host and Afghan communities through social mobilization and enhancing economic activities in regions with a significant Afghan population.

“It was a wonderful experience. Now I will earn an honorable livelihood for my family,” said Atiiqur Rahman, an Afghan refugee living in the Swabi district. He appreciated the SRSP and the Netherlands for arranging the training.

Hanifullah, another graduate, also hailed the organizers for conducting the training in an enabling environment.Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Karim Khan commended the SRSP and the government of the Netherlands for the initiative. He said the provincial government had launched various projects to facilitate the youth. “The youth must take advantage of these initiatives,” he added.

SRSP Chief Executive Officer Masood Ul Mulk thanked the chief guest for his presence and encouragement. He emphasized the importance of skill development and economic empowerment initiatives in furthering economic growth. He congratulated the graduates for completing training and encouraged them to utilize the skills for personal and community development.

Earlier, Syed Asad Qadir, SRSP’s project coordinator, provided an overview of the company’s rural development initiatives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.He elaborated on the IR&EG project, highlighting its objectives and implementation in eight districts endorsed by the Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees.The SRSP project coordinator said the districts were divided into three regions, including Peshawar, Charsadda, Swabi, Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi.