USAID funded Aqaba Community and Economic Development (ACED II) Program Launched

The USAID funded ACED II project started its operations on February 27, 2013 and is planned to end in August 2014. The program will build on the activities that were launched under ACED I Project (2007-2012). The follow-on award will allow the project to provide additional support  to the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and citizens of Aqaba with a comprehensive program that aims to strengthen the micro, small and medium-size enterprises, and relative sector associations, through providing tailored training courses, and funding the development of the specialized training centers to provide better trained professionals for the Aqaba market, and  to foster the continued and necessary economic growth in the Aqaba region.

ACED II is planning to support workforce related trainings, since this type of assistance provided new skills and knowledge to 1668 people during ACED I, and helped them to enhance their work experience and even gain new employment.

USAID-ACED II will continue to support projects that will enhance community development, such as the Neighbourhood Development Activity that included 11 active neighbourhoods and served 45,000 citizens. Moreover, the program will continue to work with Aqaba CSOs, to develop their capacity and enhance their services   in order to accomplish projects that fulfil the needs of the community, and hoping to build on the previous 88 projects that were successfully completed by the CSOs and the NDA.

Moreover, gender is a cross cutting component of the project which will ensure that both men women are equal recipients of the USAID funded ACED II project, by assessing and addressing the challenges and opportunities in workforce participation, status and income generation potential.