From Shyness to Leadership: Nagham and IMPACT+ Girls’ Southern Hebron Community Bazaar
Across the West Bank, adolescent girls are growing up amid pressures that can affect their confidence and participation. At a time when their identities and aspirations are taking shape, they need safe spaces and meaningful opportunities to express their views, make decisions and discover their potential as leaders.
With support from World Vision U.S., World Vision implements IMPACT+ clubs through its Central South Hebron Area Programme. As part of the life skills programme, the clubs help adolescents identify community needs and turn their ideas into initiatives they lead themselves.
Nagham, 15, found this opportunity through the Al-Majd IMPACT+ Club. She was afraid of speaking in front of others and found it difficult to approach people she did not know and explain her ideas.
Alongside Nagham, the club brought together 23 other girls aged between 12 and 15. During their sessions, they learnt about leadership, teamwork and active citizenship. They then began looking for a way to put these skills into practice and make a tangible contribution to their community.
Through discussions and brainstorming, the girls recognised that owners of home-based and small businesses needed more opportunities to showcase their products. They also wanted to create an event that would bring the community together and strengthen cooperation and solidarity.
This is how “Souq Al-Khair”, was born.
The girls selected had only one week to turn their idea into reality. They divided responsibilities, contacted business owners, prepared the venue, organised product displays and promoted the event on social media, in coordination with the village council. Club facilitators provided guidance while allowing the girls to make decisions and take responsibility.
Duha, 14, helped lead marketing and community outreach. Nagham faced a more personal challenge: overcoming her fear of speaking with others and engaging directly with visitors.
On 25 August 2026, Souq Al-Khair attracted around 500 visitors from Al-Majd and neighbouring communities. 30 home-based and small businesses participated, each showcasing around five types of products.
Amid the busy stalls and steady flow of visitors, Nagham did not stand back and watch. She welcomed people, explained the initiative and took part in sales.
“At first, I was afraid of speaking in front of people, but during the bazaar, I became the one explaining the initiative to visitors,” says Nagham.
The girl who had once been afraid to begin a conversation was now confidently representing an initiative she had helped create.
The IMPACT+ members also worked with Makani Children’s Club facilitators to deliver interactive, play-based activities that helped children develop life skills. Participating business owners made donations that were used to purchase drinking water for distribution to local mosques, extending the initiative’s benefit to the wider community.
Souq Al-Khair gave local businesses an opportunity to promote their products, but its deepest impact could be seen in the girls themselves. They put leadership, communication, planning, teamwork and problem-solving skills into practice, while families witnessed what adolescent girls can achieve when given trust, space and support.
The village council expressed its readiness to make similar initiatives part of regular community activities. Raeda Amro, Headteacher at Al-Majd Girls Secondary School, also highlighted how IMPACT+ strengthens students’ life skills, leadership and active participation, enabling them to become role models for their peers.
For visitors, Souq Al-Khair was a day that brought the community together and supported local businesses. For Nagham, it was the day she moved beyond her fear and began to see herself as someone capable of leading change.
Nagham’s story is one example of this wider impact. In 2025, World Vision engaged close to 6,300 adolescents through 19 IMPACT+ clubs across the West Bank, strengthening their skills in active citizenship, employability, social entrepreneurship and leadership, and supporting them to design and lead initiatives that respond to priorities in their communities.