In Somalia, a meat and meat product quality control system was established in line with internationally recognized food safety and quality assurance practices. It focused on export oriented commercial meat processing in Northern Somalia. The aim is to establish state-of-the-art procedures for the meat processing and export chain, develop a legal regulatory and institutional framework for meat quality and consumer safety in the domestic and the export sector, support the Somali public sector in addressing market access and consumer safety, and assist the positioning of Somali meat products in the international market. It supports shifting Somali livestock production from live animal trade toward chilled meat exports, which adds more production value in-country.

By 2009, 40,000 households and 260,000 individuals has been reached, and there had been a fundamental shift away from a system based on goodwill to quality assurance. Introduction of training on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points - a system in which food safety is addressed through the whole chain from raw material to consumption - in principle enabled slaughterhouses to sell Somali meat as a product with country of origin labelling, at prices up to 48% higher than before. Increased value and growing meat exports will in turn increase demands for livestock in the local markets. It is expected that in the ensuing competition, the prices for live animals for slaughter will increase, benefiting all those in the marketing and production chains including pastoralists and agro-pastoralists.

“As soon as we heard about this new course, we all came running to register” exclaimed Abeer Issa, an enthusiastic student of the recently launched “Child Development in Kindergarten” course. This is a three-month course which trains 25 women in their twenties to become kindergarten teacher assistants. The unique course was launched in Syria for the first time inMarch 2009, part of an employment and vocational education project to enhance employability and employment opportunities for Palestine refugees through employment guidance and skills training.

The first two-and-a-half months of the course consist of 12 hours of lectures a week at a crèche, covering child psychology (including courses on advice giving, adaptation, dealing with children displaying emotional or behavioral difficulties and examining the meanings of children’s paintings), childcare, nutrition, first aid and classroom decoration. The last two weeks the students attend practical training in kindergartens.

Through a network of five vocational, technical and teacher training centres, 3,670 people benefitted from skills and pre-service teacher training in 2009. Of the vocational training graduates, 77% trainees were employed within one year. Vocational and technical training centres in Jordan ranked high in the nation-wide government-administered examinations. The Gaza Training Centre was awarded the “Against All Odds Award” by the Cisco Networking Academy for widening e-learning and fostering IT skills among Palestine refugees.