UNESCO ensures that its projects are aligned with the Government of Jordan’s Ministry of Labour regulations regarding the safety recommendations to be put in place for Cash-for-Work personnel.
This adaption has provided new roles for workers such as Suzan Jdeilat, 22, from Um Sayhun in Petra.
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Suzan is currently taking part in the Cash-for-Work mechanism of UNESCO project, “Employment Opportunities for Cultural Heritage Safeguarding in Jordan”. This project is being implemented by UNESCO with the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH” (GIZ), and is part of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany (BMZ) Special Initiative ‘Tackling the root causes of migration, stabilizing host regions, supporting refugees’. Its focus being, to provide short-term employment opportunities and training in the cultural heritage preservation sector at two sites in Jordan.
Before joining the UNESCO project, Suzan mainly helped support her family at home.
The project that Suzan is a part of looks to leverage culture to enhance resilience in local communities through a Cash-for-Work mechanism that links humanitarian and development assistance by providing employment opportunities to vulnerable Jordanians and Syrians living in host communities.
UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. This project specifically adheres to the Cash-for-Work Standard Operating Procedures for Jordan. In full partnership and coordination with the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) and the Department of Antiquities of Jordan (DoA), the project in Petra aims at creating 160 job opportunities for skilled and semiskilled workers over a period of 6 months. To carry out the project activities, UNESCO works with the Association of Volunteers for International Service (AVSI), local associations, as well as national and international specialized conservation and restoration experts. Furthermore, the site maintenance plans were prepared in coordination with the German Jordanian University, School of Architecture and Built Environment. UNESCO looks to promote greater community engagement in the rehabilitation and conservation of the heritage sites, and the project that Suzan is a part of seeks to promote job creation in the cultural heritage sector and encourage sustainable tourism in the long term.
While Suzan is enjoying working and learning with UNESCO, she is also excited about her future.