“I started accepting people and thinking before I responded to them”

Israa participated in the Football for Development project (The Hope Project), which was implemented at Al-Safwa Common Elementary School. The project was carried out by Palestine Sports for Life in partnership with Generation Amazing, Qatar Charity, Qatar Funds for Development, and the Ministry of Education.

I am Israa, Allow me to introduce myself a little. I am a strong-willed girl and sometimes very harsh. I don't care about others' feelings, and I always speak my mind without any concern for how they might feel. However, through my participation in the program sessions and attending all the sessions, I started to develop an understanding of positive communication and interaction, as well as respecting the feelings and circumstances of others. 

It's possible with a single word, to change the course of the team as a whole for example, when we were divided into groups to play the match, the impact and motivation of the team leader is very important and has a positive effect if the leader is positive and motivating, and the opposite if they are critical and aggressive. . All of this, along with important life skills, contributed to touching the dark part that was within me and opened up a new path, all based on respect for others. Now, I always put myself in the other’s shoes and carefully choose my words to avoid hurting others. 

✔ The coach spoke, saying that at the beginning of the sessions, “Israa was rebellious and resistant to commands, even though I was only giving her tasks for the success of the sessions. She was a little tempered, often accepting criticism but through encouragement and attention to her presence in the sessions, Israa integrated with the girls. Israa eventually integrated with the other girls and became more interactive, and her happiness was evident during the practice. I remember one day she told me, "I hope the session continues all day." I felt happy with her words, which contributed to a change in Israa.This change was reflected in her commitment during the sessions and her respect for her fellow participants, both during the sessions and during discussions.