June 6 , 2010
Qatannah, West Bank - A graduation ceremony took place for 22 women who attended USAID funded computer training in Qatannah Association in the village of Qatannah, north-west of Jerusalem.
Anna-Maija Litvak, USAID’s Development Outreach and Communications Specialist, attended the ceremony alongside community dignitaries and the families of women trainees. Litvak congratulated the women on their achievement and said that the USAID supported training aims to help Palestinian women improve their living conditions through newly-acquired skills. Litvak added that similar initiatives are taking place in various communities in the West Bank, particularly in marginalized areas.
Raya Elayyan, Director of Qatannah Association, thanked USAID for their help and said the one-week training improves the women’s marketable skills. Trainees such as Nora Al-Faqeeh and Arleen Dargham agreed with Raya. In their remarks, they said that the training empowers them and helps them find jobs.
Since 1994, the United States Agency for International Development has provided close to 3 billion dollars in economic assistance to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, through programs in health and education, infrastructure and water systems, private enterprise development, and democracy and governance. |
