Empowering the Leaders of the Future Through Community Leadership Program in Jordan

The Community Leadership Program which falls under the Daring to Shift Project. 

The Daring to Shift project, implemented by Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT), focuses on making positive community changes. This multinational project, in partnership with Global Affairs Canada, has operated from 2019 to 2023. The main focus of the project is to provide essential skills to young individuals, including digital literacy, workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and social innovation. It comprises three pillars: Digital Jobs, Social Entrepreneurship and Community Leadership.

Mahdi Eideh, a participant in the Community Leadership program, is sharing his experience and the skills acquired through the program. He expresses, “The Leadership Program has been a truly exceptional journey in my life, greatly influencing my personal and technical skills.”

Through this pillar, DOT supports youth to become leaders in their communities by providing them with real-world placements where they join skills development programs in their communities. Youth leave the program equipped with essential skills and feel empowered to take on leadership roles. Since the pandemic in 2019, Daring to Shift has proven to adopt a holistic approach to community development; characterized by resilience, inclusion, and growth. Over four years, the program has achieved remarkable success, with 90 community leaders emerging, comprising 37 males and 53 females. These leaders have been equipped through 7 Training-Of-Trainers workshops (TOTs), 3 co-design workshops, and over 10 focus group discussions.

There have been remarkable outcomes of the Community Leadership pillar. The main ones include providing youth with a unique opportunity to make a real impact in their communities by putting them as focal points between different stakeholders, and leaders in charge of the program’s success. Moreover, through these experiences, these future leaders grow their abilities, enhance their knowledge, and become empowered, inspiring others to follow their lead. Lastly, this pillar also focuses on how that learning translates to the real world by addressing critical issues in Jordan. 

The program focuses on tackling the high unemployment rate in Jordan. The focus on leadership development plays a crucial role in addressing this problem. By providing youth with the skills and experiences needed to lead initiatives and projects, they become more attractive candidates for employment. They not only contribute to the growth of their communities but also find better job opportunities and become more confident to innovate, significantly contributing to reducing the unemployment rate as a result. Young women and men at the end of the program are more confident to find jobs that require leadership experience and skills. 

Ruba Abu Fayad, one of the program’s participants, exemplifies the impact of leadership training. She shares, “Being one of the community leaders taught me to be a responsible person who can set goals and manage my time to achieve them. I also discovered that I am capable of working on multiple tasks simultaneously. Most significantly, I felt grateful to be working with a group of young people who were eager to develop themselves, and their skills, energy, and enthusiasm positively reflected on me.” Ruba’s experience highlights the personal and professional growth that young leaders attain through the Community Leadership pillar.

The achievements of the Daring to Shift project, especially through its Community Leadership pillar, have set a strong foundation for future endeavors, demonstrating the power of youth in driving inclusive growth and fostering resilient, prosperous communities. Through collaboration and determination, this project serves as a beacon of hope for a brighter, more sustainable future across the regions it reaches.