My story began here, in this place, in its corridors, its courtyards and its classrooms, when I was a little girl taking part in the summer club run by the Princess Basma Development Centre in Ma'an, part of Johud.
Years have gone by, but the details of those days are still etched in my memory: the noise of the children and their laughter filling the place, the voices of the teachers as they shared their knowledge with us, and the air full of energy and joy. Even now I can call up the sounds that went with our days, from the knitting machines on the upper floor to the computer room that sparked my curiosity and opened new windows onto the world, and the scent of jasmine that filled the place.
I did not know then that this place, which held my childhood, would one day become the most important turning point in my life, or that my story with it would not end when the summer club did. Instead, a bigger journey would begin there, one that would shape my future.
“I am Hiba. My story began here, as a little girl learning and discovering. Today I have come back to the same place as its leader, working to give others the opportunities Johud once gave me.”
I grew up, and my dreams and ambitions grew with me, until I was old enough to join the youth committees. That was when a friend and I decided to go back to the centre, but this time not as two little girls taking part in its activities. We were two young women looking for a chance to learn, to take part and to make a real difference in our community.
We were given our youth committee membership cards, and for me that card was more than just a card. It was the start of a new chapter, a gateway that opened up horizons I had never imagined. Through Johud I began to discover what I was capable of, to develop my skills and to see myself in a new way. I came to realise that real opportunities can change the course of a person's life, if they find someone who believes in them and gives them the right space to grow.
I have always said that the turning point in my life was the special opportunity Johud gave me. It was not just a passing training opportunity. It was a space that broadened my ambitions and gave me the confidence to go beyond the borders of my governorate, to take part in activities across Jordan, and to believe that my voice and my abilities could reach further.
Through the youth committees I joined high-quality training courses, and debating was one of the stages that made the biggest difference to my journey. I started as a trainee in the art of debate, then worked to develop my skills and prove myself until I won first place in a competition. After that my experience grew, and I moved from taking part in debates to coaching and judging them.
With every new experience I found that what I had learned was not just a set of skills to add to my CV, but real tools that allowed me to influence others, help them discover their own abilities and give them opportunities like the ones that changed my life.
Believing in the importance of passing knowledge on to my community, I applied for a grant from one of Johud's partner organisations and was awarded 5,000 Jordanian dinars. That funding was a real chance to turn what I had learned into something tangible on the ground. In 2017 I set up debate clubs in around eight schools in Ma'an Governorate, so that we could give students there a space to express their views, develop their critical thinking and dialogue skills, and grow in confidence and in their ability to take part.
From there my career broadened, and I went on to work at a local organisation in Ma'an, taking with me the experience and values that had first taken shape in the corridors of this centre.
Today, when I look back on my journey, I feel proud and grateful. The place I first walked into as a little girl, carrying my curiosity and my small dreams, is the place I have now come back to as its leader, after years of learning, experience, work and giving.
For me, Johud was never just a place that held one chapter of my life. It was the place that gave me my first opportunity, helped me discover who I am and paved the way for me to become the person I am today. That is why I believe that investing in young people is not just a training course or a passing activity: it is an investment in success stories that can bring about change in their communities.
I am Hiba. My story began here, as a little girl learning and discovering. Today I have come back to the same place as its leader, working to give others the opportunities Johud once gave me.
My wish today is that this place will be, for every young man and woman, the start of a new story and a launch pad for bigger dreams, just as it was for me. The beauty of real opportunities is that they do not change just one person's life: they leave a mark that reaches others and carries on, generation after generation.
