Caritas Promote Skills among Youth to Defect Unemployment

Karachi (Mansha Noor): Caritas Pakistan Karachi, a humanitarian organization of Catholic Church in Pakistan with Collaboration of Prem Sagar Welfare organization and Support of United Nation Development Program (UNDP) organized the inauguration Ceremony of the Skill Development Center under Youth Employment Project (YEP) of UNDP on 7th of April, 2017 at Nafeesa Wilson Researcher and Training Hall in Caritas Karachi office.

The aim of the Youth Employment Project is to train five hundred unskilled and unemployed minority youth in the trade of Machine Operator and Quality Checker for Garment Industries from Archdiocese of Karachi.

His Grace Archbishop Joseph Coutts, of Archdiocese Karachi was the Chief Guest of the of the Ceremony the other distinguish guests were Mr. Syed Nawab, Dr. Fouzia Nawab from Sindh Government, Ms. Nusrat Sahar Abbasi MPA, Mr. Kishan Chand Parwani, Mr. Syed Moin Haider Zaidi, Project Manager of UNDP Pakistan, Mr. Syed Saad Ali Pasha, Mr. Naeem, Mr. Vijay Mujrani, Pandit Naurotan Dass, Mr. Kelash Kumar, staff members of Caritas Pakistan Karachi and trainee girls of the Skill center were in participant during the occasion.

Mr. Mansha Noor, Executive Secretary of Caritas Pakistan Karachi welcomed all the distinguished guests and specially His Grace Joseph Coutts, Archbishop for providing valuable time to grace the occasion.

He said that journey of Caritas to Pakistan commenced on 8th of December 1965. Caritas Pakistan is an expression of the concern of the Catholics of Pakistan for justice, peace and development. It operates on the mandate of the Bishop’s Conference of Pakistan, which is its Board of governors.

Caritas operates development and relief programs throughout Pakistan and it serves poor children, women and men of all races and religions. The strategic planning of 2015, Disaster Risk Reduction, Livelihood, Health and WASH have been taken as priority areas along with Peace Building & Social Harmony, Climate Change/Environment, gender and child projection as cross cutting.

All the Development programs are implemented through community mobilization methodology, which is the principle approach of Caritas Pakistan. Caritas Pakistan mandatory to responds to all calamities and disaster situations.
Mr. Syed Moin Haider Zaidi, Project Manager of UNDP Pakistan, shared the Youth Employment Project, he said that Youth Employment project (YEP) is being carried out in partnership with USAID and build on the successful public-private partnership model demonstrated through its predecessor project called the promoting Employment and productivity in Garment Industry.

He said objectives of the project were Skills development and employment generated for youth in garments industry. Increased capacity of local service providers built to train workers and middle management in the textile / garment value chain.

Mr. Syed Nawab in his remarks said that I am very happy to participate in today’s program. We need to train our youth in different sort of skills so they may acquire well-paid jobs to earn income to support their family. He thanked the UNDP for their material and moral support for the project.

Prof. Dr. Fouzia Khan, Head of Curriculum Wing, Education & Literacy Department Government of Sindh in her remarks said I appreciate “Prem Sagar” and “Caritas Pakistan Karachi” for their joint efforts to provide training to the under privilege girls in different trades.

She also said that her full cooperation and support will always remain with the stake holders. She said we are also working together for promoting literacy among uneducated girls. The Education department of government of Sindh developed books for non-formal education for the illiterate to educate them to increase education among under privilege and school dropout.

Ms. Nasrat Sahar Abbasi (MPA) in her remarks said that skills and education is very importance for the young girls and women for the development. She appreciated “Caritas Pakistan Karachi” and “Prem Sagar” to uplift the young girls and women by providing skills and generated employment in garments industry.

His Grace Archbishop Joseph Coutts in his closing remarks said that Caritas Pakistan is Social arm of Catholic Church for relief and development work. He said Caritas is a blend of the Latin Words “CARO” meaning “I CARE FOR YOU” and “CARITAS” meaning “LOVE OR CHARITY”.

His Grace Archbishop appreciated the joint efforts of “Caritas Pakistan Karachi” and “Prem Sagar” for their working with UNDP for training our unskilled and unemployed youth in garments industry to increase their income and improve their livelihood. As throwing stone in the stagnant water causing a wave storm in pond, so we spread our massage as wave to many youth to avail this gold opportunity to become trained and skillful.

He concluded its remarks said we are not taking part in the project as a monitory but we are taking part as Pakistani in this project. He prayed that almighty God bless our work and bless our good intention to achieve our target for the training of youth to defect the unemployment.

Mr. John Rehmat, Program Coordinator thanked everyone present at the occasion, especially His Grace Archbishop Joseph Coutts, and others distinguish Guests who gave their valuable time for the Program.