Future Leaders in the Making

Equipping the youth with lifeskills and personality development practices can be one of the most valuable favours someone can offer them during their lifetime.

Youth RESOLVE 2, a project funded by the European Union through the Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, aims to empower youth towards becoming leading actors in their communities.

The 20 Lebanese and Syrian members of the Ras Baalbak youth committee are very excited to create change in their town. “We are looking forward to being able to advocate the needs of our village and seek the change we aim for”, Rachel explains

Rachel is an 18 -year-old member of the Youth Committee in Ras Baalbak, an area in Beqaa, Lebanon. As a scouts member in her hometown, Rachel was approached by the municipality, along with her scout friends, and was asked if taking part in the Youth RESOLVE 2 project would be interesting for her.

That’s how she was first acquainted with this youth empowering initiative. As an active member in her society, this opportunity excited her because it targeted youth.

Among other activities, Youth RESOLVE 2 offers the youth sessions and trainings that help them gain new skills and knowledge. “We are being trained on topics related to lifeskills”, says Rachel. “It is interesting to learn and understand how to prepare a project or initiative from beginning to end, and I think the chance to get in touch with different decision makers in our hometown is very interesting”, she continues.

Toward the end of the project, and based on needs assessments completed in their community, the Youth Committees are required to implement quick impact projects. The Ras Baalbak Youth Committee is thinking of equipping a youth friendly space with internet, laptops, printers and other tools that will help them and others work and study, which is what, in their opinion, is missing in their hometown.

As a committee, taking part in previous activities with World Vision Lebanon such as the COVID-19 hygiene kits distribution and Vaccine awareness sessions in the village provided them with an in-depth knowledge of their own community.

For the first time, Rachel and her peers are interacting with youth from other nationalities and especially refugees, “in the beginning it felt strange but after a while, we became good friends especially since we are all working for the same purpose which is improving our town”, Rachel confirms.

The project allowed Rachel to engage and meet different people, something that she might have not been able to do otherwise.

Youth RESOLVE 2 is helping Rachel and the other members of the committee get out of their comfort zone. They engage more and appreciate how their ideas and opinions are listened to. The members of the Ras Baalbak Youth Committee believe that this project is a great chance to gain experience and prepare themselves to become active leaders of the Future; they look forward to becoming proud of their achievements and seeing the difference they would have made in their hometown.