Six professional courses for the year 2025 were launched with the support of the International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO), in the context of the opening of the Women’s Organization for Social Care and Communication “Sila” of its third strategic project, the “Mada Center for Development & Training” in Lebanon, with funding from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and supervision of the Cooperation Association.

In addition to the participation of the Director General of the IICO, Bader Al Sumait via video conference online, the opening of the Center and its professional courses was held under the patronage of the Minister of Social Affairs, Dr. Hector Hajjar. As well as in the presence of the representative of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Dr. Samir Jarrad, the CEO of the “Sila” Association, Amal Hassan, the Director of the Cooperation Association, Sawsan Al Masry. In addition to a group of representatives of the Sidon Municipality and the Ministry of Social Affairs, who stressed in their speeches the importance of such initiatives in supporting community development and empowering individuals, especially in light of the economic challenges facing Lebanon.

Through its training courses, the Center aims to empower youth and women, invest their professional energies, connect them to the labor market, and open up horizons for sustainable development, according to initiatives and projects that have an effective impact in enhancing the practical and professional skills of individuals of different age groups, supporting paths of growth and prosperity among poor communities, and achieving their developmental and humanitarian aspirations.

In conjunction with the opening of the Center, the IICO aims to launch a vocational program to train 164 young men and women in the fields of (solar energy, phone maintenance, photography and montage, computers, electronic marketing, and hairdressing). The program seeks to qualify 82 trainees to own production tools, and employ 25% of the remaining beneficiaries.

A true model of integrated work

For his part, Al Sumait praised the efforts of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, as a well-established Arab regional financial institution, with an effective presence in financing economic and social development projects, including this ambitious project, “Mada Center.” He pointed out the IICO’s pride in the pioneering and distinguished efforts of the Arab Fund as one of our strategic partners in providing relief to the Syrian people.

He also appreciated the successful and fruitful efforts of the "Sila" Association in the field of developing women's cultural, practical and professional capabilities, and working to prepare, train and develop their capabilities, indicating that it has been one of the IICO's strategic partners in charitable and humanitarian work since 2020.

Furthermore, Al Sumait pointed out that the IICO’s partnership with Sila Association resulted in 30 projects since 2020, benefiting 139,000 beneficiaries. He noted that education and training constitute a fundamental pillar in the IICO’s vision to advance the beneficiary community, stressing that investing in people is one of the important ways to achieve sustainable development and advance local communities.

Al Sumait stressed that the Mada Center for Development & Training, with its funding from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and the supervision of the Taawon and Sila Associations, and the launch of training courses for the IICO, represents a true model of integrated work between charitable and development institutions that seek to achieve community development objectives.

He added, “We are proud to be an integral part of this pioneering project, as an important step towards providing the community with the knowledge and skills that different segments of society need in order to achieve great successes in the future.”

Moreover, Al Sumait pointed out that the IICO strongly supports such development projects that represent a vital source for improving people’s lives, raising community awareness, creating new employment opportunities, and qualifying young men and women for the labor market through vocational and technical training programs that are compatible with the requirements of the era.

He added, "We are committed to continuing to adopt these development initiatives that aim to improve the quality of life, increase development opportunities for all members of society, and contribute to creating a better future for vulnerable groups."

He continued, “We believe that the success of this Center will have a far-reaching positive impact on developing Lebanese society and enhancing cooperation efforts between official and community bodies. The IICO welcomes every opportunity to cooperate with our partners to expand the scope of these initiatives that aim to build people and enhance their capabilities.”

Empowering Youth in Lebanon

In turn, the Director of the “Sila” Association, Amal Hassan, praised the IICO’s support for her association’s development projects, including the “training courses” projects, which contribute to supporting the development and empowerment process for women, youth, and young women in our Lebanese society, which is striving towards recovery after the many successive crises that have befallen it.

She added that the IICO's support for "Sila" projects reflects the spirit of cooperation and fruitful interaction that helps develop and enhance the skills of beneficiaries in various fields, stressing that education and training are the basis for progress and innovation. As well as the opening of the Center is a step towards achieving the shared vision of providing an advanced educational environment that contributes to building a generation capable of facing the challenges of the future.

Amal Hassan looks forward to the Center being a source for achieving the ambitions of its partners in success and development, and a sustainable source of knowledge and creativity in our Lebanese society.