Letters to the Editor [Archives:2002/27/Letters to the Editor]
Jobless!
It took me a long time thinking whether I should send you this letter or not. As you can see, I decided to send it, hoping to find it in your letters to the editor corner. What I am going to write is not just my case, it is the case of thousands of young male and female university graduates like me.
I feel stupid to say so, but things have no solution in Yemen. I have graduated in 1998. A while after I graduated, I was lucky to find jobs and in working here and there especially for international organizations and NGOs. But my happiness did not last for long.
Well, now around one year has passed when I last had a job. I searched for a job as many others do, but my search was in vain. I dont have any kind of backup, if you know what I mean!
For one year, I have been applying to different sectors. The worst of all is that the government posts, which I believe are the right of every qualified Yemeni are not given to those deserving young enthusiastic men and women, who had spent many years of studying and dreaming. As a matter of fact, we, the university graduates, are deprived of our simple rights to work. Do you know why? Simply because the civil service employees and other hunters want us to pay bribes to buy certain government posts that should be the right of any qualified individuals like us. Even though we have been unjustified in this regard, we still want to serve our beloved country. Will the governmental bodies help in giving us our rights? I dont think so. This is not only my case but it is rather a case of thousands of young Yemenis still waiting for a job opportunity.
Even though I am still jobless, but I am also hopeful to receive a positive response to one of my applications, Amen.
Khaled U.
[email protected]
Education first
Unlike what has been mentioned in the business page of last week, Yemen is not poor because its people are carrying weapons. But Yemenis are suffering because of lack of education and appropriate skills. Families spend the whole day searching for qat and chewing it, and hence have less time for work and development. We need to help Yemen each person by refraining himself and his family from chewing qat, then one can extend that to friends and relatives. If only the money spent on qat is spent on education, we would be in far better economic condition. Yemenis need to wake up and start targeting the main problems.
Despite all of that, I personally still have a dream in a developed and modern Yemen.
Abdulslam Hidarah
[email protected]
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