TEHRAN – Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation plans to open up 300,000 job opportunities for the deprived over the next Iranian calendar year (starting March 21), deputy head of the foundation has said.

Some 191,500 direct and indirect jobs were created for the financially struggling individuals since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year, which is expected to reach 210,000 by the end of this year, Hojjat Abdolmaleki said.

The employment projects brought a total of 175 trillion rials (nearly $4.1 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials) income for their owners this year, he noted, adding, the income generated this year has increased by 82 percent compared to last year.

According to Abdolmaleki, a total of 40 trillion (nearly $950 million) has been spent to create 150,000 direct jobs.

Sustainable income from employment schemes demonstrates empowerment of the underprivileged families, he stated, IRIB reported on Saturday.

Last year (March 2019-March 2020), the Foundation launched about 33 percent of the country's employment projects, Morteza Bakhtiari, head of the Foundation, said in August 2020.

Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation works to provide employment in deprived areas and empowers financially struggling families, other services such as building or buying housing, cultural services, medical services, and other facilities are provided, for example, in the field of treatment, more than 80,000 patients of incurable diseases are currently under the Foundation’s coverage.

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