Designing a better future
Doing Hope in... Gaza

Unemployment levels in Gaza are amongst the highest in the world. 
The youth graduate unemployment rate across the West Bank and Gaza sits at just under 50%, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, but even this already high figure masks the reality of the situation in Gaza, where youth graduate unemployment is over 70%. Despite many Gazans being highly educated, the work opportunities after graduation are extremely limited. 

Amos is committed to building facts on the ground. On the West Bank, that means home rebuilds and investing in community projects. In Gaza, this means investing in young people’s training so that they will have the skills needed to build the Gaza they want to live in.

Amos’ partner NECC was set up in 1952, shortly after the Nakba, to work with refugees and those who had fled to Gaza. We work with NECC to support their vocational training (TVET) programme, which trains and equips young Gazans with employment skills which enable them to earn a living. All students in NECC’s training programmes are provided with wraparound psychosocial support and mentoring, helping them to process their trauma and cope with everyday life in Gaza.

Vocational Training

The Amos team visited NECC last year. We witnessed in action the longstanding IT skills, tailoring, carpentry, welding and air-conditioning repair courses that NECC have been running for young people. In 2022, 448 young people received vocational training from NECC. 106 young people either graduated from the programme or were placed in ongoing work placements for on-the-job training. 

Work shop: In 2022, 448 young people received vocational training from NECC.
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Carpentry and metalwork courses are offered to 14-16-year-old boys who have struggled with formal education, providing them with vocational training with decent employment prospects. More specialised programmes, such as air-conditioning repair, tailoring, and secretarial courses, are offered to older young people, many of whom already have degrees but need help finding employment. In addition to these programmes, we visited their ground-breaking graphic design training course for young women. 

Carpentry and metalwork courses are offered to 14-16-year-old boys who have struggled with formal education, providing them with vocational training with decent employment prospects.

This is particularly appealing for young women in Gaza, many of whom are mothers, because it enables them to work from home, earning an income remotely while managing their caring responsibilities. 26 students graduated from the Graphic Design training programme in January this year, and 29 new students have recently started their training in graphic design since then.

Fatma, Walaa and Laila

Amongst the recent graduates were Fatma, Walaa and Laila, who recently shared their training experiences with NECC. Laila graduated with a degree in English Language but is also an artist. Her main passion remained art and design, so when she saw NECC’s advert for graphic design training, she saw a chance to make her hobby a profession. 

Laila says, “I can say that joining the multimedia and graphic design department at NECC was the best decision in my life, as I soon started working in this field with many companies. Also, I started having a good source of income, not only being employed by companies but also working as a freelancer on freelancing websites and social media platforms. I would like to thank NECC for the greatest experience I’ve ever had.”

Support: NECC trains and equips young Gazans with employment skills which enable them to earn a living.
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Fatma, 24, is a mother of two children. She has a BA in architectural engineering and a Diploma in multimedia. Fatma said that after graduating in engineering, she aimed to find a freelance job as she knew she needed this after graduating because job opportunities were so scarce. 

I can say that joining the multimedia and graphic design department at NECC was the best decision in my life, as I soon started working in this field with many companies. Laila

Fatma says, “My experience with the programme was great! The first semester was very helpful; our lecturers quizzed us about each course every week and tried to combine theory and practice. Then the next semester, I gained experience in graphic design: I enjoyed the programme so much and gained a lot of knowledge about designing programmes. Joining the graphic design training has opened up various freelance opportunities for me with many agencies and organisations.” 

Walaa is a mother to one child, and graduated with a BA in Science Education, but said she had always had a passion for design from a young age. She had always wanted to learn more about programmes like Adobe Photoshop and Swish Max, but limited information was available about this field then. The years passed, and her interest remained, but last year, she saw NECC advertising the course and jumped at the opportunity. Walaa and her classmates learnt everything from print design, video editing, designing logos, VFX, motion graphics and photography. 

“Now,” says Walaa, “we are about to start the training phase. We aspire to reach a decent position, have a chance on freelancing platforms, have local and international networking, and prove women’s ability to excel in all fields!” 

An Irresistible Future: Watch our short film about NECC’s work
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Training in graphic design opens up job opportunities for women, which aren’t restricted by the blockade of Gaza. They can accept design jobs for clients worldwide using online freelancing platforms. NECC’s graphic design course is just one example of how they innovate to support young Gazans pursuing a better future. You can find out more about NECC here.

Karin Joseph
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Photography: Mark Kensett

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