TİKA and the Turkish Red Crescent Are Building Bridges of Heart from Anatolia to Sudan

As part of the “Livelihood and Vocational Training Project,” implemented under the protocol for cooperation signed between Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and the Turkish Red Crescent, 39 young Red Crescent volunteers were provided with vocational training from beginner to expert level in the textile, electricity, air conditioning and cooling, iron-welding, and furniture workshops in the Sudan-Türkiye Vocational and Technical Training Center, built by TİKA, with the contribution of the Turkish Red Crescent.

The young people selected by the Sudanese Red Crescent were given all-round vocational training in the fields of textile, iron-welding, electricity, furniture, and air conditioning-cooling and provided with professional equipment to enable them to start work immediately and turn the knowledge and skills they acquired into an economic activity.

Thanks to the Khartoum Training Center for Vocational Trainers, which was built by TİKA in Sudan in 2013, more than 5,000 Sudanese people have entered a profession in various fields such as welding, furniture, textile, computer science, electricity, and air conditioning-cooling.

The ceremony for the presentation of training certificates and professional equipment was attended by İrfan Neziroğlu, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Khartoum; Secretary-General of the Sudanese Red Crescent; Secretary-General of the Federal Human Resources; officials of the Governorship of Khartoum; representatives of various NGOs; and local media organizations.

In his statements after the certificate-presentation ceremony, İrfan Neziroğlu, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Khartoum, said, “Every one of them will start running their own business tomorrow. We had built one of the most modern technical training centers in Sudan and perhaps in Africa. We use this center very actively and intensively in cooperation with both NGOs and public institutions. Young people start to work thanks to this center. I would like to thank the Turkish Red Crescent, Sudanese Red Crescent, and TİKA.”

Afaf Ahmed Yahya, Secretary-General of the Sudanese Red Crescent, stressed that an unprecedented project was implemented as part of the partnership between Türkiye and Sudan with the support of the Turkish people and the Turkish Red Crescent. He said, “It is a project and a new concept that supports peace and stability filled with love, communication, national education values, humanitarian diplomacy, and public diplomacy; national values; and poor families; adds a new milestone to the concept of positive volunteering; and includes national feelings. Learn, work, and earn, but also support others with your property and body in case of a disaster. I would like to thank those who contributed to this project.”

Bilal Özden, TİKA’s Coordinator in Sudan, stressed that they enabled 39 Sudanese young people to start working and enter a profession and that the project helped increase the recognition of the Vocational and Technical Training Center, built by TİKA.

Özden said, “This project was exactly what was needed in Sudan, which has recently been making the headlines with bad news.”

Semmah Ömer, one of the students who were trained on textile, said, “I am so happy. We completed our training with the support of TİKA and the Turkish Red Crescent. They provided us with equipment. The project is great as it supports our future. I hope it will continue because many people need it.”

İbrahim Haşim, who was trained on air-conditioning-cooling as part of the project, said, “Thankfully, we gained experience. We received training in a wonderful, fully-equipped environment with all the facilities and equipment. We can open a shop and work after leaving this center. I can even train students, if such a demand arises.”

Ehdaf Hamid stated that he was happy to receive his certificate and the equipment donated after 40 days of all-round training. He described his feelings as follows: “I have many ideas. First, I want to open a small shop until I develop myself and grow my business. We have dreams. We were missing opportunities. Now, we have the resources, and hopefully, we will make progress.”

Abdulmunim Hasan, who was given training in the furniture workshop, said, “We benefited greatly from the project. We learned everything from the use of machinery and equipment to decoration, design, and painting. Our trainers met all our needs.”