Youth Engagement in Akkar
The main goal of "Tasharok" project is to promote social cohesion among youth in targeted communities and develop interexchange events that help youth engage with each other and encourage them to know different areas in north Lebanon.This project is funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Youth also participated in workgroups covering various topics that helped them develop many social and managerial skills.
"At first, I was hesitant whether to join the program or not, but now I am thrilled I did." Said Zahraa, 16 years old. Zahraa started developing new skills after attending the sessions. "Now I can express my feelings easily, I used to have a high temper, but after the session, my attitude changed 180 degrees,” said Zahraa. The events that Zahraa attended made her discover new areas of activities and introduced her to new friends and society. "I am glad I got to know new people from different regions. They are my friends now," said Zahraa.
Ghida, 21 years old, started attending the workgroup session, and she realized that there were many things she didn’t know about until attending the session. “I learned the difference between a leader and a manager, I learned how to make a plan and how to apply it, for me the most important thing I learned is how to make a financial plan, this will help me a lot in the future,” said Ghida. Ghida is glad she participated in all the events under this project because she got to know new people and new areas.
“Before attending the sessions, I used to be an introvert, but after attending the workgroup, I changed a lot and became a sociable person who likes to meet new people and make friends,” said Nawara, 26 years. The sessions helped Nawara find a solution to every problem and made her an independent person. Nawara stated that the primary goal of the events she participated in was positive thinking; she was happy with meeting new people who made her feel positive.
Ousama, 18 years old, started with the coaching sessions, which will help him become a leader in the future, "we learned how to be leaders and how to take care of everyone disregard their different background," said Ousama. Regarding the events, Ousama mentioned that he loved all the events, but Tripoli tour was the closest to his heart because he didn't know that Tripoli had such a tourist area to visit. "In Tripoli, there is a unique spirit - you can't find it anywhere else," said Ousama.
Tharaa, 19 years old, enjoyed the workgroup sessions, especially the public speaking sessions, which helped her develop her body language skills. “I can know if the person is angry, sad, or happy by looking at him, which is something nice,” said Tharaa. The interexchange events assisted Tharaa in making new friends and knowing new areas in the North.