Swiss Development Cooperation - December 16, 2009 - Back to Resources Page

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Welfare Association - Youth Employment Sustainability Project - YES

SDC signed an Agreement with the Welfare Association for a new comprehensive project in the area of vocational and life skills development and entrepreneurship.

The overall objective of the project is to promote and create employment and income opportunities in the oPt with a specific focus on youth through increasing the employability of young Palestinian human resources in local, regional and international markets.

For achieving its objectives, the project will work on:

The improvement of access of Palestinian youth to information, resources and linkages required to make informed career decisions and to gain employment.
The enhancement of labour market relevant competencies of Palestinian youth to successfully enter the job market and to improve and promote self-employment and entrepreneurship.
The facilitation of opportunities for regional and international business to set up outsourcing entities in Palestine that are employing Palestinian human resources.
A set-up phase is currently being implemented. The whole duration covers the period from November 2008 until December 2015 with a provisional total financing of approximately 2.8 Mio US$. The project is co-financed by the Arab Fund with an amount of 2.6 Mio US$.

Budget: 2.950 Mio CHF.
Phase: 01/11/2008 - 31/07/2015
Website: http://www.welfareassociation.org/

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Support to Olive Oil Producers with Fair Trade Potentials

Palestinian Farmers Union & Institute for Community Partnership – Fair Trade Development Center

The proposed partnership at stake is a continuation of a previous already existing collaboration between PFU and FTDC on two projects supported by SDC and Oxfam GB for supporting olive oil cooperatives/producers.

The proposed joint venture between PFU and ICP-FTDC will continue working with olive oil cooperatives to enhance their productivity skills and build up their marketing competences through further training and coaching on the productivity level, along with more organizational development on the cooperatives level while also creating a marketing unit that shall help the farmers identify their market potential both conventional and non-conventional ones. It is expected that by achieving the objectives of this venture farmers will have increased revenue from selling their improved quality olive oil to expanded markets and thus they are able to improve their living conditions on the one hand and ensure the proper use of their lands on the other hand instead of being manipulated by the Israeli occupation. It is anticipated that this will also indirectly have its economic effects on the Palestinian population and economy as a whole.

To the effect of the above, SDC developed a contractual relation with both PFU and ICP-FTDC for an amount of USD 1’104’215 equivalent to CHF 1’380’269 to enable both partners implement their joint venture.

PFU Budget: 0.75 Mio CHF
Website: http://www.pafu.ps/

ICP-FTDC Budget: 0.63 Mio CHF
Website:www.bethlehem.edu/centers/icp.shtml

Phase: 01/02/2008 – 31/12/2010

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Solutions for Development - Promoting Palestinian Products:

The promotion of Palestinian products within the local market directly contributes to the strategic priorities of SDC, namely: Employment & Income Generation; and Capacity Building.

Solutions for Development was granted an SDC contract to execute a project for Promoting Palestinian Made Products referred to as InTajuna project. The goal of the project was To maximize awareness and preferences of the Palestinian people toward Palestinian made Fast Moving Consumer Goods. During the project implementation, an awareness campaign enhanced merchandizing presence at 45 high traffic retail outlets on behalf of 15 companies and 45 specific high quality products; covered with multi-phased awareness activities. Twenty four public awareness interactive workshops were one of the remarkable interventions. The project succeeded to interact and reach out to more than 2000 women in 7 cities throughout the 24 workshops conducted.

Finally, since all consumers are also employees, businessmen, and decision makers within their working and home environments, key messages of this program will indirectly impact other industries such as pharmaceuticals, stone and marble, etc.

Budget: 1.625 Mio CHF
Phase: 01/07/2008- 30/04/2011
Website: www.solutiondev.ps

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Agricultural Development Association (PARC):

PARC is a leading agriculture organisation aims to achieve integrated rural & agricultural development, food security, enhance Community-based organizations, and environment protection. PARC has been in operation in Gaza city since Aug 1987 and its programs and activities have evolved with flexible manner in order to meet the needs of the agriculture sector through service delivery , consultations , and advise to individual farmers and community based organizations.

SDC signed an agreement on 01.12.2007- 30.11.2008 to support PARC in order to Help 104 farmers (male and female) through rehabilitating and reclaiming 209 dunums of the damaged lands as well as to create Job Opportunities for 269 unemployed workers (5380 workdays).

Budget: 0.445 Mio CHF
Phase: 01.01.2009- 31.12.2009
Website: www.pal-arc.org.

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Women’s Economic Empowerment and Development Unit “Irada”

ASALA – The Palestinian Businesswomen’s Association

The project “Irada” aims to provide a special tailored training and counselling activities based on the peer-to-peer learning approach where poor entrepreneurial women who successfully started their micro business provide counseling to other poor women in their locality who want to start or expand their micro business activities. In the case of the development of successful micro enterprises, it leads to employment and income generation. The project is designed with a sector wide approach and seeks synergies with other development initiatives.

The project complies with SDC’s development mission to alleviate poverty with a particular focus on poor women, empowerment of disadvantaged groups and reduction of structural inequalities.

SDC is leading this pioneer project in the oPt with additional possibility to develop a service agreement between a commercial bank and ASALA or other innovative financial instruments in order to assist the Microfinance sector to sustain its development.

Budget: 1,3 Mio CHF
Phase: 01/01/2008 – 31/12/2010
Website: www.asala-pal.org

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Swiss Development Cooperation - December 16, 2009 - Back to Resources Page