About the Cause
Dubai Cares’ programs are designed to reduce, if not remove, the greatest obstacles that prevent children and young people in developing countries from attaining quality education. With each intervention, Dubai Cares evaluates the need for assistance across two key areas:
Access to Education which allows Dubai Cares to improve children’s health and learning environment, increase education enrollment and attainment, increase access to education, reduce absenteeism, increase gender parity and increase promotion rates.
Quality of Education which enables early learning, enhances educational attainment and school progression, improves literacy and numeracy skills among children, enables teachers to access teacher training resulting in better learning outcomes, reduce dropout rates and increase primary school attainment.
Dubai Cares is a long-term advocate of safeguarding children and young people’s right to education and is currently playing a global advocacy role in spreading the knowledge about the importance of providing education to the unprivileged children.
We also champion education through research - There is an overwhelming lack of evidence as to what works to promote children’s learning in crisis-affected contexts. Research plays a pivotal role in tackling this issue.
My Story
Vocational Skills Training Programme (VSTP) for 100 recent School Drop Outs: Need for the project: Economic Hardships and Effects of Covid-19 Lead to 20% Increase in School Drop Outs in Zambia: The country has recorded a 20% increase in school dropout rate in the primary and secondary levels of education. This is according to the Central Statistics Authority report for education analysis of 2020 that shows that over 400, 000 scholars have dropped out of school due to economic hardships and effects of covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, what is the way forward for these precious souls? What kind of life are they going to lead without education? In trying to provide answers to some of these questions, J-TAP SERVICES has come up with a Vocational Skills Training Programme. Here, we have identified that there is a need to address School Drop-Outs and Unemployed Youths living within the villages of Kabwe District with a Vocational Training Scheme. The programme plans to enhance the employability of 100 recent school drop-outs (aged 16 – 22) and unemployed youths (18 – 35) both male and female, within the first one-year period. Why funds are needed: 1) Average Learning Achievement of the students is not satisfied. There is rampant school dropout among school going children and many students fail to obtain the necessary results to continue with further study. Therefore, these students should not be left to fail. 2) Careers support and advice is severely lacking in schools, students are often not aware of vocational learning opportunities and believe that if they have failed to succeed in the education system they have fewer options for employment. 3) School drop-outs and youths lose hope and end up loitering, becoming irresponsible in the community and often find themselves engaging in misconduct of all kinds like alcohol & drug addictions, gambling, prostitution, robbery among others. Therefore, enabling them to acquire a skill to support themselves we hope will prevent this. 4) There are high rates of unemployment within Kabwe among people aged 18 – 35. 5) J-TAP SERVICES is aware that there is only one formally accredited Vocational Training Institution and other tertiary learning institutions, however, those who J-TAP SERVICES will support may be unable to attend due to financial constraints, lacking papers and issues of transportation and accommodation. Objectives of the Project: 1) To provide vocational training to 100 recent school-dropouts and unemployed youths and to enhance employability and provide a skilled foundation to build a career. Thus, reducing levels of unemployment in those aged 18 – 35. 2) To empower young people to believe in their dreams and to enable the acquisition of income through formal and informal job prospects so that they can support their household and families. 3) Foster a change in community attitudes whereby everybody is given the opportunity to succeed. The following courses have been proposed: 1) Tailoring 2) Hair Dressing and Beauty 3) Catering 4) Carpentry and Joinery 5) Brick laying and Construction 6) Plumbing 7) Electrical Wiring and Fittings 8) Livestock Farming Expected Outcomes of the Programme: 1) Within the first year, 100 young people distributed fairly between school drop-outs and unemployed youths will participate in J-TAP SERVICES Vocational Training Programme with the initial goal of 50% of beneficiaries to be engaged within income-generating activities formally or informally following receipt of training. 2) Beneficiaries will become self-reliant and strongly resilient in addressing their challenges through newly acquired skills and learning. 3) Beneficiaries will be able to use the acquired skills to enhance their careers and employment prospects. 4) Beneficiaries will be able to use course completion certifications provided by J-TAPS to add value to their curriculum vitae and enable wider career opportunities.