SOUL: A society to develop women and children [Archives:2006/949/Reportage]

Mohammed Al-Jabri
In 2005, SOUL launched the “Unlimited Potential” program targeting some 500 women unable to afford computer training fees. The program aims to eliminate computer illiteracy among women by giving them basic computer skills.

Microsoft Up program coordinator Einas Al-Eryani said the program targets women unable to join private institutes to learn computer skills. Funded by Microsoft, the “Unlimited Potential” program offers women opportunities to receive free computer courses.

“Yemeni women are not greatly targeted to learn computer skills, so here at SOUL, we seek to erase computer illiteracy among women by giving them courses in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, digital media, internet and web design,” Al-Eryani said.

SOUL initiated another project in the Information Technology (IT) field known as Women in Technology (WIT). Sponsored by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), U.S. State Department and managed by the Institute of International Education, it aims to empower Yemeni women to participate actively in society's development. The project provides scholarships to some 450 women to attend hands-on and IT training, conducts professional development workshops and offers community outreach and mentoring activities.

By the end of this month, SOUL will announce the Women's IT Association. SOUL Executive Director Dr. Arwa Al-Deram said the association is the first of its kind in Yemen and mainly confined to women. It will include WIT graduates so they can form a legal body through which to help other women in society, she added.

Training and capacity building

SOUL has conducted a variety of projects concerned with improving education. In 2004, it initiated a project called Improving School Management, wherein 20 individuals working in school management from selected schools across Sana'a were given training with the hope of creating modern and unique school management models.

“From Child to Child” is another project aiming to increase awareness among school teachers as to the importance of child participation in the learning process. Twenty teachers from 10 schools were trained in the main concepts of “From Child to Child” methodology.

In 2003, SOUL conducted training courses in seven governorates entitled, “NGO Capacity Building,” aimed at impacting local NGOs by enhancing their professionalism and performance. Twenty employees from selected local NGOs participated in the project.

SOUL also adopted a long-term breastfeeding promotion program implemented nationwide.

The Women's Education and Cultural Center was established in 2001 in Khamer, where women are taught basic life skills by tackling simple everyday problems and addressing social misconceptions from an Islamic viewpoint.

SOUL implemented another project in Sana'a in dressmaking, wherein a total of 20 women and orphan girls were trained to acquire quality skills in professional dressmaking to enable them to sell future products in Japan.

In 2001, SOUL ran three training courses for 45 traditional birthing attendants in Shabwa, Amran and Sana'a governorates. It also implemented a “Management and Communication Means” training course targeting 20 trainees from five organizations.

Other projects and training courses in health and education were conducted in various areas of Yemen.

Awareness campaigns

In 2004, SOUL launched an awareness campaign on legal documentation and women's rights. It aimed to raise the Yemeni community's awareness, particularly women, of the importance of possessing official documents such as an ID, family card and birth certificate. The campaign targeted a number of schools and organizations in Sana'a governorate.

SOUL participated in National Immunization Days by sending field staff into schools to raise the awareness level among students. Another campaign was conducted in 1998 to promote rational use of medical drugs and safe health practices in general. This campaign aimed to raise public awareness of the need for obtaining professional advice on the correct means of treating illnesses.

SOUL also was responsible for formulating, producing and testing two handbooks entitled, “Rational Use of Drugs Teachers' Guide,” to be used at preparatory and secondary education levels.

Poverty reduction

SOUL implemented a number of projects that helped lift large segments of the Yemeni community out of poverty. In 2001, SOUL signed a contract with the Social Fund for Development to implement the Sana'a Micro-Financing Program aimed at supporting individuals willing to run their own small enterprises as income-generating activities. It continued until 2004 when the total number of client-beneficiaries was 4,050 with a cumulative portfolio of YR 170 million.

Other services

Funded by the World Bank, SOUL established a Hotline Call Center service in 2002 aimed at providing parents nutritional information related to their children's eating and health problems by contacting a nutritional specialist. Furthermore, several nutrition education sessions were held to raise mothers' awareness concerning child nutrition.

Via the Japanese Relief Clothing Center, SOUL also distributed new clothing throughout Yemen over approximately five months. Distribution recipients were orphans and poor families.

Another project known as “Back to School” was implemented during 2002-2004 wherein SOUL helped students who drop out of school to continue their schooling.

According to Al-Deram, SOUL has conducted a number of studies and research regarding both women and children, including a 2004 study in 10 governorates entitled, “Assessment of Midwives and Health Practitioners.” Among prominent studies SOUL has conducted are:

– Barriers preventing Yemeni women from using information and communication technologies

– Childbearing practices in Yemen

– Baseline survey for Yemeni adult life skills and literacy education project

– Traditional birthing attendant's training, evaluation and supervision program

– Participator in rapid appraisal of children in marginalized zones

– Baseline survey for child development

– Social assessment of the impact of photo voltaic energy in rural Yemen

– Social assessment of child development project

– Girls' education acceptance

Established in 1997, SOUL is a non-governmental and non-profit Yemeni organization committed to raising the quality of life for Yemeni women and children.
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