Well, I’m an associative education officer for the UNHCR in Yemen. I visit refugee camps to assess their impoverished conditions, extreme needs and underestimated concerns. Then I try to improve their situations. Unfortunately I’m limited to an educational capacity, but since that job alone could keep me in Yemen for a lifetime, I’m more than happy to be here. I try to focus on two camps in southern Yemen and have an office in Aden; a lovely coastal city.
What I must do in more detail is to: -ensure that refugee children participate in suitable education programmes, in appropriate facilities. -go to and host meetings with the ministry of education and various government officials, deans of Universities, head masters of schools, UNICEF, World Food Programme, and other OP/IPs, to discuss vocational training programmes, curriculum development, self reliance activities, etc. -encourage women and girls’ enrolment in schools and literacy courses. -closely monitor the implementation of a Scholarship programme for refugees to study at University, though many end up dropping out due to various obstacles (abuse, pregnancy, resettlement, etc.). -support non-formal education, hire teachers and so on…
Apart from my job I enjoy going to the fish market and buying fish which I then bring to a restaurant to have cooked for me. I pass the time smoking tobaccoless sheeshah, sitting on busy streets drinking tea & coffee, playing chess and speaking Arabic with locals. They all think I’m Syrian or Lebanese based on my looks, then assume my Arabic has just got rusty over the years of international postings. I don’t correct them, it's safer that way...مع السلامة
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