Sana'a: The Secretary of the Capital, Dr. Hamoud Abbad, inaugurated the first season of the 'The Best of Our Hands' festival for productive families, organized by the Al-Wahda Multipurpose Agricultural Cooperative Association. The event, which will continue until 26 Sha'ban, aims to economically empower productive families and enhance institutional partnerships through development-oriented initiatives.
According to Yemen News Agency, the festival is coordinated with the local district authority, the Agricultural and Fisheries Project and Initiative Financing Unit at the Secretariat, the Bonyan Development Foundation, and the Libyan Trade Center. It is held in collaboration with the Agriculture Sector, the Secretariat's Social Affairs and Labor Office, the General Authority for the Development of Small and Micro Projects, and the Agricultural Cooperative Union, with participation from various official and development entities.
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Abbad stressed the importance of supporting productive families as a key element in achieving financial and productive independence for the nation. He highlighted the role of value chain programs, which include providing farm inputs, storage, packaging, processing, and quality enhancement. These initiatives are essential for completing the value chain of local products, linking farms to consumer and industrial markets through national efforts.
Dr. Abbad explained that these projects align with the comprehensive economic renaissance advocated by the Leader of the Revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi. The projects, executed by state institutions, aim to transform society from passive consumption to active production. He also emphasized that promoting the 'community economy' is a crucial response to external aggression targeting citizens' livelihoods. These fairs are instrumental in eradicating unemployment and reducing the local market's dependence on imported products.
The Capital Secretariat, Dr. Abbad affirmed, will continue to provide necessary support to ensure these projects' sustainability and expansion, thereby fostering a resilient national economy based on self-reliance and achieving self-sufficiency.
Dr. Ghassan Al-Madani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs, described the festival as a strategic move towards reducing import dependence. He praised it as a strong initiative that lays the groundwork for local product localization and achieving self-sufficiency. Dr. Al-Madani highlighted the capability of productive families to turn challenges into production opportunities, aligning with the national vision for self-sufficiency.
Dr. Al-Madani added that the state is promoting a strategy to shift societal culture towards productive labor, ensuring national decision-making sovereignty. He urged cooperative associations across the capital and other governorates to emulate this pioneering experience. Expanding the productive families model nationwide is viewed as a safeguard against impoverishment and a step towards a resilient economy based on the local workforce.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Kubsi, Chairman of the General Authority for Small and Micro Projects, noted the creativity showcased at the Al-Wahda District exhibition, marking a new era of production sovereignty. He confirmed the Authority's commitment to supporting families and creative youth with the necessary framework to transform small-scale activities into projects contributing to national output.
Dr. Al-Kubsi emphasized that focusing on processing industries linked to local resources is a practical response to impoverishment policies, turning agricultural wealth into high-value-added products. Supporting small and micro project owners, he noted, is the first line of defense against economic challenges and a critical factor in achieving a national industrial renaissance based on the efforts of the Yemeni people.