UNAMID DDR hands over vocational institute in Kabkabiya, North Darfur

Photo by Mohamad Almahady, UNAMID.

Photo by Mohamad Almahady, UNAMID.

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24 Aug 2015

UNAMID DDR hands over vocational institute in Kabkabiya, North Darfur

On 19 August 2015, UNAMID’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Section handed over a vocational institute to the local community in Kabkabiya, North Darfur. The project, implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and local implementing partner, Friends of Peace and Development Organization (FPDO), is part of the DDR Section’s Community-based, Labour-intensive Projects (CLIPs).

 It consisted of the construction of four workshops, three offices, a women’s embroidery centre, a computer laboratory, latrines, a generator room and a boundary fence; it also included provision of requisite training equipment.

The project is aimed at empowering at-risk youth through skills development, thereby equipping them with livelihood alternatives and preventing them from joining armed movements or indulging in substance abuse. So far 40 young people in the area have benefited from on-the-job training through contributing to the construction of the Institute.

The handover ceremony was attended by more than 500 participants including the Locality Commissioner of Kabkabiya, the Shartai or native administration leader, UNAMID officials, women leaders, students and representatives from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

In his speech on the occasion, Adam Salih, Locality Commissioner, Kabkabiya locality, expressed his appreciation for UNAMID’s support to developmental projects across Darfur, saying that such endeavours greatly enhance peace, stability and development among local communities. “This vocational institute will improve the level of technical education for young people not only in Kabkabiya, but also in the North Darfur state as a whole,” added Mr. Salih.

On his part, Mahmoud Elnayer, DDR Officer, UNAMID, affirmed the Mission’s commitment to its core mandate that includes protection of civilians, supporting the peace process and facilitating humanitarian assistance to populations in need across Darfur. “UNAMID DDR’s CLIPs programme is specifically aimed at building the capacity of young people in conflict affected societies by providing opportunities for skills acquisition thereby enabling them to contribute to their communities in a valuable, forward-looking manner, he said.

On the same day, the Mission’s Civil Affairs Section (CAS) also handed over a newly constructed building and surrounding wall for the Kabkabiya Intermediate Court; this project was implemented through the Mission’s Quick Impact Projects (QIPs. The objective of the handover of this infrastructure is to promote justice and enhance the rule of law among community members in the area.