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OPT: USAID West Bank/Gaza mission program achievements - Week of 26 Oct 2009

Water Resources and Infrastructure

- New Sidewalks and Street Lighting Improve Road Safety in Beit Ur al Tahta: USAID held an event to celebrate the completion of sidewalks, road shoulders, retaining walls, and installation of street lighting for the village of Beit Ur al Tahta in the Ramallah Governorate. The event was attended by the Palestinian Prime Minister, USAID's Mission Director, the U.S. Consul General, and local dignitaries. The total cost of the project, which was implemented under the Emergency Jobs Program through CHF, was $400,000 out of which $150,000 was donated by a prominent Palestinian-American from Houston, Texas.

Economic Development

- Bethlehem Olive Festival Promotes Agriculture and Tourism: The Enterprise Development and Investment Program, implemented by Carana, supported the annual Olive Festival in Bethlehem in collaboration with the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Festival celebrated the new olive harvest and locally produced olive oil which play an important role in Palestinian society. The Olive Festival kicked off two months of USAID-funded activities designed to increase tourism in Bethlehem over the holiday season.

Youth and Education

- Nablus Youth Club Provides State-of-the-Art Services: USAID, together with representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Intel Corporation, and Palestinian youth organizations, celebrated the opening of the Jabal Al Nar Youth Development Resource Center (YDRC) in Nablus City. The Center, which was housed in a 70-year-old building, was renovated and furnished through the Emergency Jobs Program, implemented by CHF, and USAID's youth empowerment program Ruwwad, implemented by Education Development Center (EDC). Ruwwad is a 5-year $17 million program, aimed at building leadership capabilities of at least 240 youth leaders, while engaging more than 1,000 youth volunteers and 6,000 community participants. In addition, a new computer lab was established within the Center in collaboration with Intel Corporation to be used for Information Technology programs supported by Intel, Cisco, and Microsoft.

- Cisco Academy Established to Train in Computer Technology: The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Program, implemented by Save the Children US, held an opening ceremony for the Regional Cisco Academy at Hisham Hijjawi College of Technology in Nablus. The Regional Academy will oversee the establishment of 2 local Cisco training academies in Palestine. The academies will offer entry level Information Technology courses in computer maintenance and networking and upgrade skills in wireless connectivity and network security.

Democracy and Governance

- Ministry of Local Government Improves Its Strategic Planning: The Local Democratic Reform program, implemented by CHF, conducted a three-day workshop for the Ministry of Local Government's Guidance & Monitoring Department to help develop a three-year strategic plan for the department. Attendees were able to align the department's main objectives with the Ministry's mission, as well as the Government's Thirteenth Program. Among other issues, the participants discussed the need to update the current manuals and automate the guidance and monitoring functions.