Wanting to help his family to make ends meet, an 11-year-old Ahmad got a job at a clothing store, folding clothes and cleaning. For two years, he worked full time, trying to help his family get back on their feet. Finally, Ahmad鈥檚 father got a job as a building manager in Amman and secured an apartment for his family. Ahmad鈥檚 parents enrolled him in school again but since Ahmad had missed two years, he had to begin in 5th grade rather than 7th.
For a few years, Ahmad played catch up, leaving school to return to the world of work after finishing the 8th grade. First, he rented a cart from a vendor and sold steamed corn and then found a job distributing water door-to-door.
Then one day, the mother of one of Ahmad鈥檚 friends told him about scholarship opportunities she had seen advertised. 鈥淭he Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholarships were appealing to me as they didn鈥檛 require applicants to have succeeded at Tawjihi. I had nothing to lose, so I applied for the Hospitality programme鈥.
The scholarships are offered as part of the UNESCO 鈥淧rovision of TVET for vulnerable Jordanian and Syrian Refugee Youth鈥 project, implemented with generous funding and strong partnership from the Government of the Republic of Korea, in cooperation with Luminus Technical University College (formerly Al Quds College).
Through the project, UNESCO supports youth to receive quality training programmes as a way of finding employment. The project is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in particular, the Sustainable Development Goal 4, which focuses on ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promoting lifelong learning.
鈥淲hen I learned that I had been accepted into the programme, I was overcome with happiness. It was that moment that I realized that I had a chance to prove myself to all those who had criticized me for leaving school. I knew things were going to change for me鈥, shared Ahmad.
A week later, Ahmad began his studies.
HACCP is an international standard defining the requirements for effective control of food safety and handling processes. Luminus instructors are licensed to issue the certificates to students who receive a satisfactory grade on the HACCP exam.
His Excellency Lee Jae-wan, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Jordan, is pleased by the powerful impact of this TVET project.
In early 2019, Ahmad finished the on-the-job training portion of his programme and began knocking on the doors of businesses looking for work in his new field. After three days, he found a job as a waiter in a restaurant in Amman, where he has worked for the past year.
Reflecting on what it means to start over many times, Ahmad has a message for those searching for direction: 鈥淚f you have lost hope in life, you must find it again. This programme brought hope back into my life and gave me an objective. Now my family is proud of me. When I think of the future, I feel that everything is going to be ok鈥.
To learn more about this project,
