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EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian crisis

“My talent was bringing me work, I am very proud of myself”

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My friends see me as someone capable of working… they look up to me!

Eslam is a 25-year-old Jordanian girl who decided to invest in her talent. “I have a bachelor’s in Criminal and Delinquency studies,” she says. “After completing my degree, I couldn’t find a job anywhere in the country,” she explains. But Eslam had something else on her side, all along, together with a lot of free time. “Since I was a kid, I always liked computers and drawing on them!” she adds. After realising there are software like Adobe which allow people to do exactly that, Eslam decided to check some tutorials on YouTube. But those were not enough. She became familiar with the various design programmes but she wanted to go the extra mile and really invest in her childhood passion.

When she was volunteering at the Jordan Red Crescent, a friend of hers told her that the organisation was offering graphic design trainings. Eslam did not need to be told twice: she applied, passed the entry exam and enrolled in the 3-and-a-half months training.

Being able to participate in this training, empowered Eslam and really helped her rekindle her passion for design. “It made me believe more in myself, it helped me financially as I started making money, I didn’t need my parents’ support anymore as I was relying on myself. Psychologically, it felt good because my talent was bringing me work.”

With the support of the EU via the Trust Fund, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) help more than 1.3 million vulnerable beneficiaries in Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey by improving their overall wellbeing. Besides improving access to quality health services, offering psychosocial support and social cohesion activities, IFRC and Red Cross and Red Crescent societies offer vocational trainings, like the one followed by Eslam at the Jordan Red Crescent, that help members of vulnerable communities develop the skills needed to access the job market.

“Ajloun is one of the poorest governorates, there aren’t many job opportunities here. […] There are a few factories, but not everybody can work there… the situation is difficult,” says Eslam. “I am very proud of myself for studying graphic design. […] My friends have started seeing me as someone who has a good job. Whenever they need something like a poster, for example, they come to me because they see me as someone capable of working… they don’t look down on me because I’m working… to the contrary, they look up to me!” she says with enthusiasm and pride.