A Young Palestinian Refugee’s Journey from Participant to Facilitator

Growing up as a Palestinian refugee in a camp in Jordan, Mahmoud often faced racism. “It was part of bullying,” he said. “People treated me differently.” These experiences shaped him. By the time he was a teenager, he had become withdrawn. “I was introverted,” he explained. “I didn’t think about my future. I didn’t care about my goals.” 

Three years ago, Mahmoud saw a post on social media about Tahfeez, Amna’s partner organisation, which provides psychosocial support and safe spaces for young people. Curious, he asked a friend about the centre. His friend encouraged him to attend, telling him it was safe and welcoming space. Mahmoud first joined as a participant.   

He still remembers his first session. “I got into a fight with another participant,” he recalled. But he kept returning to the sessions. With support from Tahfeez staff, Mahmoud began to change. “I have changed 100%,” he said. “Now I’m thinking about my goals and my future. I have a vision.” 

This change has been visible. When he first joined Tahfeez, Mahmoud was struggling at school. Over time he passed his classes, enrolled in university and even opened a small café and supermarket to help support his family after his father died. He is now studying special education to become a teacher for children with special needs. “My family and I work together in the supermarket,” he said. “They support me.” 

From participant, Mahmoud has now trained to become a facilitator. He now leads psychosocial support sessions for refugee children at Tahfeez, including activities to help them cope with bullying. He understands their experiences first-hand. “In school, many refugee children face racism, not only from students but from teachers,” he explained. “The biggest problem is that there are not enough safe spaces to build their personalities and abilities.”