“Deep down, I always had a passion for nursing. However, when I was younger, my parents did not allow me to pursue this career as it demanded long shifts, sometimes at night, which was considered in my society as not suitable for a girl”, said Racha Abdul Karim, a 36-year-old Syrian living in Lebanon, who participated in post-Covid-19 healthcare services for elderly training programme implemented by the ILO and the Safadi Foundation, a Lebanese NGO providing skills training.

Abdul Karim describes her experience during the training as very successful. “I learned many skills that can come in handy not only when caring for older people but for any patients,” said Abdul Karim. On the personal level, she became much more confident which also improved her self-esteem.

“After I finished the training at Safadi Accelerated Vocational Training Center and received my certificate, I was employed as a caregiver for an elder woman living in a private house. At first, I was scared as it is a big responsibility, but I remembered that I learned everything during the training, including on-job-training which was very helpful. I am so happy I can practice and use my new skills; my patient is also pleased,” said Abdul Karim. She added that she looks forward to expanding her experience in this field and improve her livelihood.

Abdul Karim is one of 100 Syrian and Lebanese people benefiting so far from skills training and post-training services under Skill-Up Lebanon (Phase II) project – a joint effort of the ILO and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. The project aims to improve the acquisition of market-relevant skills and increase employability through competency-based skills training coupled with pre-enrolment career orientation and post-training support services.

“Be confident in yourself and in what you are doing! Give everything from the bottom of your heart and you can achieve anything!” Abdul Karim encourages others.