By Issa Qahtan

Years pass quickly, carrying us forward, but every year, a special call echoes, stopping me in my tracks. A call that emanates from the depths of my being, urging me to pause for a moment. Not because time has stopped, but because history itself has decided to stand in reverence. Today, the Tamdeen Youth Foundation celebrates its twelfth anniversary, an occasion that marks a significant milestone in a journey that grows stronger and more giving, like a flowing river that only the sea can halt.

Twelve springs ago, Tamdeen shone forth not just as a name, but as a living pulse in the body of a nation burdened with wounds, a nation struggling to remember its youth capable of writing new chapters of hope. Tamdeen did not come to ask about the past and its pains, but to envision the future and ask: "What can we create?". Since that day, Tamdeen has been an institution belonging to a bright tomorrow, not to a faded reality.

In the record of glory, Tamdeen has inscribed twelve years full of diligent work and extended giving. Its projects were not mere decorative words in reports, but tangible achievements and evidence on the ground, seeds sown in the earth that sprout goodness and giving for the people and local communities in Yemen. Its accomplishments are evident in many rural areas where isolation stifles opportunities. Tamdeen extended a helping hand not just for relief, but for advancement and empowerment. It launched informal education initiatives and provided quality programs to support youth and women, building their skills to enable them to join the labor market and secure livelihoods for themselves and their families.

Amidst the conflict, Tamdeen did not stand idly by in the face of the collapse. Instead, it carried the tools of social restoration, launching pioneering programs in local peace and social cohesion, and building bridges of dialogue between conflicting communities, believing that dialogue is the key to recovery.

In the face of poverty, Tamdeen had effective interventions in supporting decent livelihoods through hundreds of small projects it established, transforming those who were searching for a loaf of bread yesterday into business owners providing job opportunities for others today.

In the field of governance and accountability, it enhanced youth participation in community oversight, supported local councils with planning and implementation capacities, and launched advocacy campaigns for human rights.

In the arena of youth empowerment, thousands have benefited from its programs in vocational training, entrepreneurship, capacity building, and governance, believing that youth are not just passengers in the nation's train, but the future leaders who hold the keys to change.

As for women, they were and still are at the forefront of the Tamdeen Foundation's priorities. It has supported and continues to support their participation in public life, and has established strong networks of women leaders in both rural and urban areas, believing that the advancement of society can only be achieved through the empowerment of women.

In the face of climate change, Tamdeen was among the first to launch community adaptation initiatives, integrating environmental work with a rights-based approach, declaring to the world that even in the most difficult circumstances, preserving our planet is a responsibility that cannot be ignored.

The Tamdeen Youth Foundation is no longer just a civil society organization, but has become an integral part of the conscience of the new Yemen. It is the school from which the poor derive the meaning of dignity, where the marginalized find a way to active participation, from which the youth embark towards initiative and creativity, and from which girls draw the courage to be present and make a difference.

And here we are today, in the twelfth year of continuous giving, joining the leadership, management, dedicated team, and widespread staff of Tamdeen across the nation in celebrating this glorious anniversary. Years full of achievements that have crossed borders, a flame that still burns brightly, and a banner that has not been lowered despite all the challenges. Congratulations to Tamdeen Youth on its twelfth anniversary, and to more success and achievement in serving humanity and development.