Tuesday | 2 December 2025

In a significant step to enhance digital empowerment for young women and girls in Hadhramout, The Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Estidamah Foundation for Capacity Development as part of the project "Empowering Yemeni Young Women and Adolescent Girls through Access to the Digital Economy", funded by the European Union in Yemen and in partnership with the War Child Alliance.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Salem Baharatha, Acting Executive Director of Estidamah, Mr. Ibrahim Al-Tamour, Project Manager at Estidamah, Ms. Sumaya Al-Hababi, Consultant, the Project Director at The Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF) Ms. Shohoor AlShubili, and Mr. Fawzi Al-Hakimi, Digital Economy Specialist at War Child Alliance. Their presence reflects the commitment of all parties to work collaboratively to strengthen local partnerships and expand the project's reach to young women and girls.

This MoU emphasizes the importance of leveraging Estidamah’s local expertise, one of the leading actors in community development in the region. It contributes to building community trust, facilitating the implementation of field activities according to the highest standards, and lays the groundwork for future advocacy efforts that ensure the project’s impact continues beyond its active phase. It also strengthens the role of local partners in disseminating digital knowledge, empowering young women and girls, and creating a supportive environment that guarantees long-term impact.

In this context, the Project Director at The Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF) highlighted the significance and expected outcomes of this collaboration:
"We consider this partnership with Estidamah a pivotal step towards enhancing community trust and enabling young women and girls to access the digital economy more effectively and sustainably. This collaboration allows us to expand our activities with a trusted local partner, ensuring the continuity of impact and meeting the needs of young women and girls in the long term."

This collaboration also enhances coordination among stakeholders in the digital and community fields, reduces duplication, and ensures the efficient flow of information, thereby increasing project effectiveness and impact. Furthermore, it opens the door for exchanging experiences and best practices, strengthening the ability of all partners to deliver sustainable solutions and digital innovations that serve the local community effectively.

The MoU represents a milestone in the project’s trajectory, reflecting the commitment of both local and international institutions to work together to empower young women and girls and create a sustainable digital environment that supports the local community and achieves long-lasting impact.