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Understanding the issue
Yemen’s future lies with its next generation, those between 18 and 40 years old, who will lead their country through the 21st century. Yet that “next generation” has lost many of the opportunities that their predecessors could access.
Many of this next generation were unable to complete the last 3-4 years of their high school education due to infrastructure collapse, limited student capacity, or the closure of colleges or universities because of the civil war. Economic collapse has also diminished their opportunity for meaningful employment. For the next generation Yemenis in rural areas, the fuel shortages and associated costs serves to isolate them even further than before.
The crisis has torn the very fabric of Yemeni society with a sharp increase in political, religious and social factions. Understanding others and supporting someone from a marginalized group is a lost art, as each person understandably seeks to ‘get ahead’ under the current conditions. With the stress of social factions tugging on each person, their identity is more often shaped by the people who want to use them rather than by their own personal destiny.
Our Response
ITDC’s leadership development program is focused on re-awakening each person’s connection with their identity and personal destiny while shifting their focus away from the social dividers to the things that connect them with others in their community. The scale and variety of the needs requires us to address them with multiple courses.
YOUTH HD COURSE
The Youth Human Development (HD) course is a one week, 20 hour course designed to give Yemenis initial exposure to peace building, conflict resolution, and respecting differences. Although able to be adjusted, this course targets Yemenis in the post-high school and university student age-group between 18-26 years old. The course is normally delivered to 100 youth in groups of 20 across a two week period. Through individual performance in the Youth HD course, candidates are selected to participate in the more extensive and in-depth Global Leadership course.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT COURSE
The Financial Management (FM) course is designed to help people get a handle on their finances. The course covers financial principles, budgeting, getting out of debt, saving for the future and setting financial routines in place. The course is designed as a multi-week course, where participants receive a portion of the training and then must implement what they learn before continuing.
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP COURSE
The Global Leadership course has integrated leadership development materials, social-relational tools (DiSC, Strengths Finder, etc) and professional development skills (time management, financial management, administration) into a two month, 200 hour course. At the conclusion of the course, the participants plan and implement as a team a small project or initiative in order to exercise the skills that they have learned during the course. They are monitored and coached through the process of working within a team. The course is held in evenly mixed group of 20-24 men and women participants generally between the ages of 18-40 years old. Some of our most dramatic transformational stories come from this course and most of the participants have chosen to participate in it after seeing the life change that occurred in one of the 360 previous graduates.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSE
The Project Management (PM) course is focused on equipping Yemenis to take an idea and make it into a reality within their community. The course covers project scope, design, planning, monitoring and evaluation. Participants are required to design, plan and implement a small project or initiative at the conclusion to demonstrate the skills they have developed.