MA'AN Youth Center in Deir al-Balah welcomed a delegation from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on a field visit aimed at learning about the youth programs and interventions implemented by the center, and discussing ways to strengthen the role of youth in economic recovery and reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip amid the unprecedented humanitarian and economic challenges facing the population.
The visit included an introductory tour of the youth center’s facilities, during which the delegation was briefed on the services and programs provided to young men and women. These programs focus on capacity building, enhancing life and leadership skills, raising awareness on sexual and reproductive health, and providing psychosocial support services.
The meeting also highlighted community initiatives led by young people themselves in response to the growing needs within their local communities, as well as the role of youth centers in launching and supporting such initiatives.
During the meeting, participants reviewed the important role youth centers play in providing safe spaces for young people under the current circumstances, transforming them into active platforms for community participation, skills development, and opportunities for volunteering and community leadership. These efforts contribute to protecting youth from the social and psychological impacts of prolonged crises.
The visit also included a dialogue session that brought together the delegation from the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Population Fund with a group of young men and women who graduated from the youth center programs, in addition to leaders of youth-led community initiatives that implemented various field interventions over the past period. These interventions included awareness campaigns, psychosocial support activities, and educational and community initiatives targeting displaced persons and affected families.
During the session, participants discussed the main challenges facing youth in the Gaza Strip, particularly high unemployment rates, declining job opportunities, and limited access to professional development opportunities, in addition to challenges related to displacement and deteriorating economic and social conditions. Youth participants also expressed their aspirations for support in economic empowerment pathways and for the creation of training and employment programs that respond to the realities of the local market and the needs of the upcoming recovery phase.
The participating youth emphasized the importance of integrating youth centers into future reconstruction and economic rehabilitation plans, considering them as community hubs capable of reaching and empowering young people and involving them in designing and implementing innovative community solutions. They also stressed the importance of investing in youth capacities and skills and creating opportunities for them to participate in community and economic rehabilitation projects, in a way that ensures sustainable job opportunities and strengthens the ability of local communities to recover.
