Qatar-based renewable energy development firm GreenGulf Inc is to deliver a programme  that aims to improve living conditions for Syrian refugees in Jordan by fitting solar power systems and create a career pathway to electrical engineering.
The training programne will be delivered in the Zaatari camp, a settlement of some 83,000 people located just south of the Syrian border.
The initiative comes in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council, which has been running courses to train residents between 16 and 30 in skills such as carpentry, welding and electrical engineering, and iPlatform, a London-based not-for-profit organisation.
The programme plans to instal solar power systems that provide supplementary sources of electricity, improving the quality of life and security in camps that are afflicted by power shortages.
“GreenGulf Inc hopes that the introduction of solar power technology will inspire a new generation of Syrian electrical engineers, and has partnered with the University of Jordan to provide students with academic and vocational training in the subject,” according to a statement.
Omran al-Kuwari, co-founder of GreenGulf Inc, explained that the programme was initiated in response to the Syrian refugee crisis that presents the biggest challenge facing the international community.
“The programme is about a lot more than providing a source of much-needed solar power to the Zaatari camp. It is about providing knowledge, too, which we hope will assist the refugees’ future employment opportunities,” he said.
The programme’s promoters are hoping to launch it next year. If it proves to be a success, the intention is to scale up the solar power training and deploy it in other disaster zones, and also extend it to other professional skills that can be taught using online platforms.