"Al-Shabab Awalan" Presents: Najah Diaries: Rabi'ah's Story
9 Jun 2008 in Employment
"Al-Shabab Awalan" ("Youth First") series will share five Najah success stories in Point of View. The first is written by Rabi'ah Zawaideh from Wadi Rum.
You can also listen to Rabi'ah's story
I am a 19 year old girl, the youngest of 11 brothers and sisters living in Disi village within the Wadi Rum area, where opportunities are scarce - particularly for girls, and what might be available is certainly not suitable for our needs. When I heard about Najah, I felt as if a life saving opportunity was presenting itself to save me from the emptiness I was living in…But my difficulties also began on that very same day! My family, especially my brothers, saw in it an outrageous walk-out on family and community traditions; especially tribal rules and habits. The first obstacle was the venue of the training, and the second was that the training was mixed (boys and girls)… I had to convince them that taking part in the training would not harm me or them or their reputation. It was a miracle when they finally accepted to endorse my participation! What they heard from the training team certainly helped to convince them. I could sense my parents’ concerns... It was not the training, nor was it their lack of confidence in me; it was the restrictions imposed on all of us by the community, the same restrictions that are hindering all of us, as youth, in every aspect of our lives…
"Najah was exactly what I wanted for myself; it taught me to be ambitious and persistent."
In the beginning I thought that Najah would not be much different than other training programs. Quitting the training certainly was not an option; it could put me in an embarrassing confrontation with my family, who have seen me enthusiastically joining trainings before and dropping out at the first opportunity…I felt as if everybody expected my failure! But the Najah program surprised me... Its components spoke my language to the extent that they seemed to be able to talk to me! These components were just what I was looking for. Najah was exactly what I wanted for myself; it taught me to be ambitious and persistent. In the beginning I could not grasp everything in it, yet I started realizing that the problem was not in the training as much as it was in me. Everything was there for me to benefit from in the way that suited my needs… After some time I grew to realize that knowledge was a continuous build up of skills; I only had to choose to have it!
Najah changed the way my parents saw me… it made me feel special! Four months of training passed by so quickly, and I was able to cross so many inaccessible roads! Now, I am writing a proposal for a community development project with four of my colleagues. Once approved, we get to work on our project and see it become a reality… I cannot help but feel distinguished inside my family and inside my community! They look up to me now, they feel I am safe and secure... I have gained their respect!
Najah boosted my self-confidence and gave me the skills I needed in addition to the knowledge I required. I can now decide and determine my goals in life. My channels of communication with my parents are clearer than ever. I proved to myself that the so called "culture of shame" is not part of our community, and the community restrictions were no more than challenges that could be overcome if we put our mind to it.
Every girl in our conservative community can succeed if she decides to do so. I succeeded because I became strong enough to choose success, and I will never give up!
Rabi'ah Zawaideh
Najah - Wadi Rum
Continue Reading Najah Success Stories: >> 1 2 3 4 5 <<
