But my purpose today is not to talk about the weather. Instead I wanted to share some pictures of an event I attended last week. I didn't take the pictures (I was disappointed when I arrived that I didn't think to bring my camera) but I got some photos from one of our staff. I was invited to hand out certificates at a graduation program for our Youth Enterprise Project. This project is one of ADRA Mongolia's longest running projects, and is about to move into its fourth year. It is designed to strengthen the capacity of young people who live in poverty and find it hard to get employment by giving them vocational skills training and small business training. It operates in urban and rural areas, and is funded largely by private donations.
The young people are selected by applying to their local council social worker, who does some screening about their family to ensure that the young people with the most difficult circumstances get selected for training before others. The young people then attend two month vocational training courses at local non-formal-education centres. ADRA Mongolia provides the trainers, funds for materials and other support. The graduation I attended was for beauticians and crafts (felt-making and beading).
11 girls were graduating as beauticians. They were all dressed in white. Each had brought a friend or relative to be their model and they had done them up in after-five make-up. Some of the girls had managed to find evening dresses, others apologised that they couldn't get special dresses. The models were made-up beautifully, right down to colour coordinated manicures complete with freehand drawn flowers. I was told that five of the girls already had jobs in beauty salons here in the city.
The second group had spent two months learning felt-making (slippers, hats, boots, bags) and beading (pictures, jewelery, handbags, toys, vases). The girl picitured above made her boots, hat, belt, bag and necklace. Each of the students took turns to walk up the front and show us an example of their work. So many of them were shy, but they had made some excellent things. Several of them were already taking orders for their products and were already making some money from their new skills.
After we presented the certificates I was presented with slippers for Alesia and Keira (who loves her new felt slippers that look like a rabbit), and a hand-beaded belt. The ADRA office was presented with a "painting" of a horse done in beads - which is novel but not much else. It is now sitting in a corner in our office as we wonder what to do with it!
About half the population in Mongolia is under 25 years old. According to a government survey one in five economically active young people are unemployed. Young people who do not have the opportunities to continue their basic schooling or develop vocational skills are more likely to be living on the streets or trying to earn cash through crime or prostitution. Through a mix-up the proposal for the next year of funding for the Youth Enterprise Program wasn't submitted when it was supposed to be, and two days after attending the graduation I had to be involved in a quick redesign for the next year of funding. I am glad that before I had to work on the new proposal I had a chance to actually see some of the young people benefiting from the program and hear their stories.
