TEHRAN – Barekat Charity Foundation, affiliated to Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, will generate 120,000 jobs for the people residing in rural areas by the end of this year (March 20), the foundation’s head has said.

The foundation supports launching 40,000 job plans which will result in creating 120,000 jobs in villages across the country, IRNA quoted Amir Hossein Madani as saying on Sunday.

He went on to note that over 18,000 business plans have so far been launched through the foundation’s financial support.

These jobs are created with small investments made by the people themselves, he said, adding, implementation of such projects will also lead to sustainable income generation while reversing migration from rural to urban areas.

He also said that women have a significant role to play in these projects, as 41 percent of 18,000 job plans implemented so far have been carried out by women.

Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, also known as Setad-e Ejraiye Farman-e Hazrat-e Emam, was founded in 1989. In the Iranian calendar year, 1386 (March 2017-March 2018) Barekat Charity Foundation- the social arm of the organization- with the aim of promoting social justice was established.

Socio-economic empowerment of the communities by encouraging entrepreneurship prioritizing breadwinner women, developing infrastructure such as water supply schemes, power grid, and road building, constructing schools and increasing educational spaces, promoting health for all, granting non-repayable loans and insurance especially in less developed areas and regions most affected by 1980s war and natural disasters are of the priorities of the charity foundation.

FB/MG