Spring Board trainers reach out to Yemeni women

YEMEN - Three young Yemeni trainers named Bushra al-Ghaffari, Alhan al-Ademi, and Tahani al-Asbahi, started their first Spring Board training course for female workers at the Al-Saleh Foundation last Thursday, November 12th.

Spring Board is a program sponsored by the British Council that aims to strengthen the development and abilities of women all over the world. The program originally began in the United Kingdom and has since then spread to a number of other countries including India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Yemen.

The first Spring Board licensing course for the Middle East was held in Beirut from the 12th to the 20th of July 2009. In the course 30 women from Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman were trained to become Spring Board licensed trainers and are now qualified to lead holistic self-development courses that are specifically tailored to the needs of women in the Middle East. The course includes classes every Thursday of this month.

Regarding the Spring Board program, the director of the Sana'ani British Council, Mr. Michael White said, “our aim at the British Council is to build trust and cooperation between Yemen and the U.K.” He explained further that with this particular project they hope to increase women's rights, reach greater equality between the genders, and equip women to be active members in the community.

One of the trainers, Bushra al-Ghaffari, said that the program focuses on helping these women find a sense of identity, in addition to helping them to build their confidence, understand the world around them, and control their feelings.

Al-Ghaffari explained that they care about the professional development of these women and want to teach them how to balance their personal lives and their careers.

She concluded that by the end of the four workshops the trainees will have a better understanding of their own abilities and strength, will know how to use their strength in the right place, and will know how to overcome the various obstacles that they will face.

Another trainer, Alhan al-Ademi, said that there is potential for the program to be offered at several civil and governmental institutions.

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