In addition to the enormous complexities imposed by the current situation marked by the conflict in nearby Gaza, the West Bank is burdened with a series of difficulties that, unfortunately, are characteristic of it. East Jerusalem, in particular, is one of the areas with the least development opportunities for the Palestinian population. It has the lowest unemployment rate in the West Bank (6.5%) and yet also the lowest labor participation rate (35.9%). In this context, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is key to social and economic development.
For this reason, we are currently executing a project aimed at young people -especially women-, financed by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). This project is carried out in collaboration with our local partners, Agricultural Development Association (PARC) and Lutheran World Federation (LWF), with the aim of testing how technical and vocational education and training (TVET) oriented to urban agriculture can reduce the vulnerability of excluded social groups and improve employability and job creation.
Zaid Mostafa is one of the young West Bankers participating in this agreement, which is enabling him to train and develop professionally in the field of surveying. Prior to being part of this initiative, Zaid recalls that “job opportunities were inconsistent and unstable in the surveying field.” In addition to his efforts to dedicate himself to it, he recounts that he and his family raised several sheep, poultry and horses at home, having to take on the costly difficulty of feeding them.
The discovery of hydroponics
Motivated by the challenges posed by the high price of animal feed and the lack of space in his house to be able to plant it directly, Zaid decided to look for solutions to deal with this situation. In this way, he became informed and discovered the azolla plant and its enormous potential.
Azolla is grown in water and has a great capacity to adapt to different climatic conditions. In addition, this plant serves as animal feed and organic fertilizer. “I continued searching and delving into the subject of sprouting barley without planting it in the ground, which led me to discover the technique of hydroponics, or cultivation in water,” explains Zaid.
In parallel, this young man received a message from a friend referring to an advertisement about our agreement, “and that’s how I registered immediately, without hesitation”. Zaid thus began to train professionally. First, he received training that helped him strengthen his overall personal and professional skills, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a proactive attitude and seeking solutions independently.
“As for hydroponics, I have learned a lot about a new field and I have discovered many details that will be very useful for me to start a new project,” says Zaid, who also reveals that he will start working in an establishment specializing in hydroponics”. In this way, he hopes that this opportunity will provide him with important future job alternatives, as well as a stable source of income.
In this way, Zaid also hopes to contribute to improving the living conditions of his family and community, as well as caring for the environment. “I want to help other people in a similar situation by sharing the knowledge and experience I am acquiring through this agreement,” says Zaid.
