Saturday, June 17, 2017

YES CENTER: A Guide for the Empowerment of Young Women

Shahin Akhter, Member of YES Youth Group
Cox’s Bazar is the world largest sea beach area and we are proud of it. But unfortunately, people of this prestigious region are living a neglected and dark life. In this situation, the YES CENTER COX’S BAZAR becomes the guide of young people of Cox’s Bazar. 

The center is implementing many development activities in this region and with the marginalized youth of Cox’s Bazar for changing their livelihood. The YES CENTER COX’S BAZAR is a real resource in this region. It is situated in Ramu Upazilla of Cox’s Bazar district which is the South-eastern part of Bangladesh. 

The CENTER provides us different training facilities, especially for young women. I live in Cox’s Bazar and when I heard about the YES CENTER I expressed my interest and I got admitted. I received Life Skill Education training at first and many students, young boys and girls like me gained knowledge on life related information which helped us to develop our social competency, social behavior and problem solving skills. This training also helped to recognize our own identity and build our self confidence.

YES CENTER COX’S BAZAR provides 6 types of management and skill development training for the youth of Ramu Upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. These training are: ICT (Computer) training, Hotel Management, Tourist guide, Basic Accountancy & Book keeping, Office management & secretariat and English Language courses. Besides, Life Skill Education and school based Disaster Risk Reduction training are also arranged in the YES CENTER. Students are getting these training free of cost and it ensures young women participation in all the training.
The course timeline for each training is 3 months and 3 classes are conducted each week. In each month we participate in an examination to know the progress of us. 

If any student faces problems to attend in the course regularly, a responsible and concerned person of the YES CENTER COX’S BAZAR communicates with us and our parents for ensuring our regular attendance. Recently we received special uniforms and dresses and after completion of the training, every participant gets a certificate.

The YES CENTER does not only provide us training but they are also trying to communicate with different service providers for ensuring the employment opportunities and job placements for training participants. For this I noticed that they are organizing different advocacy meetings, round table discussions with different stakeholders for ensuring the jobs. We also received a short orientation on the textile industry and got many information about this sector so that we can build our career within the largest economical sector of Bangladesh.

Dear readers, you are thinking that I am writing here about an organization but it is true that I am a beneficiary of this YES CENTER COX’S BAZAR and received the training on “Hotel Management”. I also participated in a round table discussion on “Participation of young women in economic development: challenge and possibilities”, simulation sessions on disaster risk reduction, life skills training and blogger training. 

These training gave me a direction on how I develop myself to contribute in changing our economic conditions and present situation. Now I am more confident than before and planning to involve myself in economic activities after completion of my academic education and also I will try to help other youth girls in my society. For this reason, I want to say that the YES CENTER COX’S BAZAR becomes a guide for young women for empowerment and increase of their self confidence. I believe that we will bring about the change one day. I am requesting all young women to come forward and all together we can build our society and country economically sustained! 

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