Project Goal: 

The project aims to strengthen the socio-economy of girls and women to recover more quickly and sustainably from the crisis in peacebuilding contexts in Hadramout Governorate – Almukalla District. This goal will contribute to the impact statement of “socio-economic recovery of women and girls is improved in peacebuilding contexts.”

Target group: 195 women and girls forcibly displaced aged (18 – 40 years)

Target Areas: Hadramout Governorate – Almukalla District

Implemented Organization: Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF).

Partner: Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF)

Project Summary:

The Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF) has advanced its approach to designing development projects toward long-term economic sustainability through the implementation of the project: "Sustainable Opportunities for Livelihoods, Vocations and Employment (SOLVE) - Hadramout Track". The project’s operational activities spanned seven consecutive months in the Al-Mukalla district of Hadramout Governorate. This specialized intervention was implemented in strategic partnership and co-funding with UN Women and the Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). It aimed to enhance livelihood security, foster socio-economic resilience, and support sustainable recovery through the financial and institutional empowerment of women. Throughout all its tracks and field components, the project targeted and upskilled internally displaced women and girls (IDPs), alongside the most vulnerable members of the host community. The intervention was deeply rooted in evidence-based market assessments to ensure that training outcomes translated directly into productive, viable enterprises and sustainable employment opportunities within the local ecosystem.

This integrated model successfully operationalized the humanitarian-development nexus by shifting relief efforts from temporary assistance to complete self-reliance. Field interventions commenced with a rigorous, localized Labor Market Assessment (LMA) in Al-Mukalla district. This scientific methodology ensured the effective and strategic integration of beneficiaries into the local economic cycle.

Key Outputs and Quantifiable Impact

The efficiency of this intervention is clearly demonstrated by the exceptional data and outcomes documented in the project's final closure report:

• Vocational and Technical Training: YLDF successfully qualified 75 beneficiaries in vital vocational and handicraft sectors, specifically tailoring, pastry and confectionery production, and incense and perfume manufacturing.

• Asset Distribution (In-Kind Grids): Following a rigorous performance evaluation, 38 graduates were empowered through the distribution of comprehensive, specialized professional toolkits. These kits were strategically allocated as follows:

  • 13 toolkits for tailoring graduates.

  • 13 toolkits for the pastry and confectionery track.

  • 12 toolkits for incense and perfume production.

  • This allowed participants to immediately launch structured, high-efficiency home-based production.

• Work Readiness and Internships: In parallel to the vocational track, 60 educated female graduates underwent an intensive, advanced program focusing on employability skills, job readiness, professional ethics, and professional CV writing. This structured effort resulted in securing paid field-based internships for 18 graduates for two full months within local partner organizations and institutions, refining their professional skills and providing real-world experience to unlock future labor market opportunities.

• MSME Incubation and Seed Funding: In the entrepreneurship and micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) development track, a specialized evaluation and judging panel selected 30 outstanding business plans developed by the beneficiaries. The project funded these plans by providing seed capital grants worth $1,000 USD per project. This financial support was coupled with ongoing technical, advisory, and legal mentorship by a dedicated specialist to ensure the sustainability, competitiveness, and market stability of these emerging enterprises.

Human-Interest Narrative: Beyond the Numbers

Beyond these remarkable quantitative indicators, the project catalyzed a profound and systemic transformation in the lives of the targeted women and girls, moving them from emergency dependency to the forefront of entrepreneurship and self-reliance amid complex displacement challenges. The entrepreneurial intervention and distributed toolkits successfully empowered numerous displaced women who had long suffered from severe economic and health vulnerabilities within their households. It enabled them to convert their dormant skills and passions into stable, sustainable income streams that preserve their dignity and secure their livelihoods.

A prominent example of this human and developmental impact is Arwa, a displaced mother of six. Following her intensive entrepreneurship training and receipt of an integrated pastry and confectionery toolkit, Arwa overcame the compounding barriers of displacement and lack of basic equipment. She successfully transformed her individual talent into a promising commercial enterprise launched from her home under the name "Hawa Lab". Today, she confidently markets and distributes high-quality products to neighboring grocery stores and local retail shops. She also actively participates in local exhibitions with competitive, high-standard products, securing a dignified, continuous livelihood for her large family and shielding them from the hardships of vulnerability and displacement.

Market Integration and Sustainability

Project outputs extended beyond home-based production and individual distribution to include direct, structured market linkage. The closing activities of the project culminated in a marketing exhibition and an open bazaar organized in commemoration of International Women's Day. The event generated significant momentum, attracting 133 visitors and witnessing substantial purchasing activity and excellent financial turnover for the beneficiaries' products.

The exceptional success achieved by the "SOLVE - Hadramout Track" serves as a benchmark for the international humanitarian and development community. It demonstrates that structured, evidence-based investment in building the capacities of displaced women—coupled with asset dropping (toolkits) and startup seed grants—is a primary catalyst and an effective pillar for achieving economic resilience, sustainable recovery, and comprehensive community stability.