1. September.8th
. 2012
To whom it may concern
I am writing to recommend Mr. Omar S. Ibrahem .
I have worked with Mr. Al Hamdani for 1 year with DRC Syria in Damascus (since September 2011). Between
October 2011 and January 2012, as DRC Syria’s Livelihood Advisor I conducted livelihood evaluations
throughout DRC’s programmes, including the Damascus Community Centres. Omar became my focal point for
these evaluations – he organised focus group discussions, compiled documentation, and provided
indispensable information to inform the evaluations and DRC’s knowledge of refugees’ situations in Damascus.
While Omar was based in the MB Centre, his network and knowledge extended to all areas in Damascus and
he assisted me with the evaluation in all of the centres. In fact, in January and February 2012, when the Syrian
conflict definitively reached Damascus, Omar was the person who provided the most in-depth, updated, and
accurate information on where refugees of all nationalities were moving, the challenges they faced, and how
their livelihoods were affected by the situation.
Moreover, in 2011 Omar designed and conducted a business development and marketing workshop in the 4
DRC Community Centres in Damascus with great success. When this activity was put on hold due to a lack of
funding and then the subsequent unrest in Damascus, Omar continued to collect information on external
vocational training opportunities for beneficiaries and to suggest ways that DRC could connect refugees and
Syrians to livelihood opportunities related to VT, employment, and business development. He demonstrated
an excellent capacity to propose livelihood activities that remained realistic in the challenging context without
giving up hope on beneficiaries’ ability to succeed. For example, on his own initiative Omar researched VT
opportunities with private institutions in Damascus and proposed ways for DRC to obtain discounts or free
courses for refugees; he knew that focusing on developing transferable skills was the most useful livelihood
option for beneficiaries in a volatile context where employment and entrepreneurial activities were
precarious.
Omar continually impressed me with his professionalism, his networking skills, his knowledge of refugees’
situations, his capacity to analyse livelihood needs and responses, his ability to connect with people of concern
from all nationalities and ages, and his dedication to the work. I have no doubt that Omar would be an
excellent national livelihoods project manager for the AusAID project. DRC Syria is disappointed to lose him,
but we hope DRC Iraq can benefit from his knowledge, commitment and enthusiasm.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like additional information about Omar Al Hamdani’s
livelihoods work with DRC Syria.
Sincerely,
Louisa Seferis
Louisa Seferis
Livelihood Advisor - Syria/Lebanon
Danish Refugee Council
Email Syria: louisa.seferis@drcsyria.dk
Mobile Syria: +963 (0) 962 855 643
Email Lebanon: louisa.seferis@drclebanon.dk
Mobile Lebanon: +961 76 916 994