On Monday, February 3rd, 2009, Leaders Organization conducted a graduation ceremony in Ramallah for the group of young men and women who participated in the project "Young Web Designers". This ceremony was conducted after nine months from the launch of the project that was funded by the Social Fund for Development of the French Consulate in Jerusalem.

"Young Web Designers" project aimed to contribute to reducing unemployment rates  among the youth in the Palestinian society through developing the skills of 39 young men and women in the field of web design and small business management. Furthermore, participants were introduced  to Palestinian microfinance agencies in an attempt to help them in starting their own businesses and generating  monthly income. This project was implemented in cooperation with Relief International and the Lutheran World Federation in Salfeet and Jerusalem.

Shadi Al-Atshan, the Executive Director for Leaders Organization, initiated the ceremony with a speech whereby he ensured the commitment of Leaders in implementing effective projects to help the Palestinian youth in developing their skills to meet the requirements of the Palestinian market. Furthermore, Al-Atshan expressed his gratitude to everyone who participated in the success of this project emphasizing on the importance of the relationship between Leaders Organization and the French Consulate. He also stressed on the great efforts and genuine cooperation put forward by Relief International and the Lutheran World Federation to the success of the project.

Moreover, Ms. Jacqueline Collin Lasko, representative of humanitarian and social cooperation in the French Consulate in Jerusalem, gave a speech thanking Leaders Organization and expressing the importance of the project in improving the income levels of the participants and providing them with the skills needed to reflect a true picture of the Palestinian society. Ms. Lasko also noted that the success of the project returns to the hard work and positive partnership between Leaders Organization, International Relief, and the vocational training center of the Lutheran World Federation.



Nasfar Al Khuffash, Head of Relief International in Salfeet, also thanked everyone who contributed to the success of this project, especially Leaders Organization for their concerns in implementing the project in Salfeet. Mr. Al Khuffash also announced that Relief International will help the graduates through providing them with grants and loans to continue their new businesses.

Furthermore, Mr. Francis Gharfeh, Director of the vocational center of the Lutheran World Federation in Jerusalem, noted in his speech the importance of the coordination and cooperation between the civil society institutions and vocational training institutions. Mr. Gharfeh, also noted the need for targeting vocational training programs and supporting them through the development of new programs. Mr. Gharfeh also clarified the importance of eliminating all obstacles faced by vocational training centers and to proceed on meeting their needs to allow them to accomplish their duty towards the young people who are less fortunate and the most marginalized in education and employment opportunities.

Two of the participants in this project, Mr. Mahmoud Afaneh and Ms. Hanan Helwa, gave a speech expressing their gratitude and appreciation for selecting them along with the other participants in the project. They also expressed the benefits they gained from this project.



Finally, certificates were distributed to the participants. Relief International also honored the trainers and staff of the project. A representative of the vocational training center of the Lutheran World Federation in Jerusalem gave the "Thanks and Appreciation" Shield to Leaders Organization.