The Kuwait Fund – increasing employment through sustainable development projects
Most projects handled by the Kuwait Fund are in the fields of transportation, agriculture, energy, and water and sewage. Many of the projects of the Kuwait Fund are not directly aimed on reducing unemployment, but they indirectly contribute to increasing employment in the developing country concerned.
Some examples of the work being funded are building projects in the fields of water management, medical services, and institutional and governmental development.
Many of the environmental projects of the Kuwait Fund establish a better agricultural environment in developing countries, enabling local farmers to increase their production.
The Kuwait Fund has also carried out projects related to the building of schools and the setting up of educational organisations.
One of the leading programmes of the Kuwait Fund focuses on upgrading national human resources in response to private sector needs. Since 2004, the Kuwait Fund has offered a training programme for newly graduated Kuwaiti engineers and architects. Within this project, the graduates are provided with training courses, six-month international apprenticeships, and local internships. The goal of the project is to better prepare Kuwaiti engineers for the Kuwaiti private sector. This project costs around USD 3.5 million per year.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges the Kuwait Fund faces, is the changing circumstances and priorities in the countries with which they work. The projects of the Fund have to be tailored to fit the specific circumstances in the receiving countries, an endeavour which takes time. Many times, programmes have had to be revised, because of a changing economical and political situation. According to the Director-General of the Kuwait Fund, this challenge can be faced by staying in close contact with the receiving country and by constantly reviewing the programmes. The financial and monetary situation in the world also makes it necessary to adjust the support for some countries. Countries that are assisted by the Kuwait Fund face challenges in obtaining financing, and so the Kuwait Fund provides these countries with additional resources, enabling them to overcome their challenges.