Daoud Mohammed Abdullah, 35, resident of al-Mahjar area in the Governorate of IBB, was working as a minibus taxi driver.

The recurring fuel crises in the country forced the minibus owner who employed Daoud to sell the vehicle leaving Daoud out of work. With no work, he decided to go back to his village. While in the village, he heard about the stone- paving project for the road in the area using the community contracting scheme. What he was hearing sounded too good to be true. When he attended the meeting during which the beneficiaries committee was formed, he made a decision right then and there to participate in this experience. He attended training sessions and collected all the information he needed to help him become a contractor.

Later, after reading the announcement made by the beneficiaries committee for the stone-paving of the Majma’ah-Al-Mahjar road by PWP, Daoud decided to participate in the project which was going be implemented under the community contracting scheme. This scheme is being implemented under the Social Protection Project ESPECRP, financed by the World Bank’s IDA in partnership with UNDP. Daoud prepared all the needed paperwork to participate in the competitive bidding process. On the day the bids were opened by the beneficiaries’ committee, which will oversee the implementation, he heard the incredible news that he won the bid. It all appeared surreal to him until he signed the contract for the project.