In Gaza, Hamas to Launch New Job-Creation Program
Hamas is trying to address soaring youth unemployment in Gaza with a new job-creation program targeting university graduates, Rami Almeghari reports.
Ali Mansour owns a small café in central Gaza Strip, selling beverages to mostly young customers, including jobless university graduates.
Mansour, 24, graduated as a medical secretary from a local university three years ago. His life remained idle, with no prospects of a job in his field, until he managed to open his small café in his neighborhood of Maghazi.
"Before I opened this small shop, I used to spend long hours outside my home, either at a cousin's salon or with some neighbors or friends. At some point, I thought deeply with a great deal of fear inside me, 'Will I remain like this for the rest of my life? Should I keep waiting until one of my various job applications succeeds?' I told myself, no, I should do something, I should do something before it is too late,” he said.
Mansour went through a number of jobs unrelated to his degree before deciding upon his café.
