Supporting capacity development and economic recovery in Ariha, Idlib, and its suburbs. This project will ease economic and social suffering in Ariha, Idlib, in three main ways by: 1) vocational trainings on community development, including infrastructure, agriculture, and reporting practices and campaigns 2) mini grants to exceptional trainees and 3) cash-for-work opportunities for other trainees. The Syrian economy has been devastated by the ongoing war. The mass displacement of civilians, combined with a shortage of basic services, has created additional aspects of the conflict as resources are drained. This is particularly true Ariha District (Ariha-D), which hosts tens of thousands of IDPs. Thus, Ariha-D and it suburbs are suffering from economic pressure and social tension.
POINT developed this project according to the 2017 Minimum Economic Recovery Standards. The aims are to alleviate those pressures and tensions by encouraging entrepreneurship and improving access to the local labour market by expanding local business. 
 
Employer Mobilization
We are committed to a process of employer mobilization to encourage long-term, sustainable solutions. POINT will conduct a needs-assessment to identify the needs of local enterprise. By establishing relationships with employers, we may connect local business to job candidates trained by POINT. We will also staff a career coach to support participants with career counseling, and help them engage with the private sector. By gaining a better understanding of local enterprise through our employer mobilization efforts, we consolidate business efforts and streamline hiring in Ariha and its suburbs.
 
Vocational Training
POINT will organize 20 vocational training workshops for 600 participants. Each training will last for one month. The training workshops will be on 6 different topics that were identified from POINT’s baseline assessment. The six topics are maintenance of public infrastructure (water and electricity systems) alternative sources of power agriculture and farming, especially for olive cultivation internet and intranet networks and reporting practices and campaigns that are unbiased and gender-conscious.
 
Mini Grants
Exceptional trainees will have the opportunity to develop project proposals, and receive mini grants to implement their projects. 34 teams will be awarded a mini grant each team consists of two trainees and 1 non-trainees from Ariha. Mini grants will be awarded on a quarterly basis, for a total of 34 mini grants. 
 
Cash-for-work
Employer mobilization enables us to connect employers with job candidates trained by POINT. These cash-for-work opportunities will provide employment to 100 participants of the training workshops. POINT will pay their salaries for the first two months of work at the end of this period, employers will decide whether to hire the employees permanently – and pay their salaries afterwards –  or not. 
 
POINT designed this project to support the recovery of lives and livelihoods in Ariha-D. We propose to partner with Silatech due to their expertise in linking job candidates with employers. We are committed to the socio-economic recovery of Ariha, and our three-pronged approach ensures that business activity, as well as unity among the locals, returns and spurs economic growth and social tolerance.