Student Civic Action: Engaging and Empowering Emerging Leaders in Universities in Jordan

The project did a good baseline survey before its workshops and collected disaggregated data, but the follow up survey asked a different set of questions. Although the follow up survey indicated that youth were using their training, it did not allow for comparisons against the baseline data. This could have quantified the degree of change in these individuals.

The project made less of an impact on the development of the national youth strategy in Jordan. It did hold workshops on the new strategy and submitted a list of recommendations to national representatives but the participants felt that these were not considered. The National Youth Commission Chairman who was responsible for the strategy explained that the it would be the result of a two-year consultative process with youth, civil society and others done in coordination with UNDP

The grantee adapted well to circumstances. When it found out that it would take months to work out an agreement with the universities with which it had initially intended to collaborate, it tapped into institutions where it already had relationships. One of these was the All Jordan Youth Foundation, where many of the project activities and trainings were subsequently held.

The training was practical and taught youth how to make things happen– starting with how to identify the problem, collect information, make recommendations and prepare an action plan to address the problems. It taught them communication skills so they could get their plans across and seek support from the community and government offices. This was coupled with hands-on experience for some youth created through the internships, sub-grants and volunteer activities. Combined, this gave the youth the tools needed to tackle problems and lead others.

Featured lesson) One example of the impact on leadership was a trainee who had worked in the Child Care Society in her rural home town of North Badia. As part of the project she identified illiteracy as a major issue and developed a literacy training programme for women. Being able to translate an idea into a practical programme was an empowering experience for stay-at-home women. It also had a multiplier effect since participants started encouraging other women to attend.

The sub-grant component was an effective incentive and increased the project’ s reach and impact, and the percentage of funds allocated for this could be increased in future projects. Equal importance should be provided to small CSOs and CBOs as sub-grantees, as this small amount of funding can make a significant difference in the marginalized areas where they work.

The project incorporated sustainability into its design as it taught the students how to do things for themselves, and then gave them the opportunity to put those skills to use. The links it developed between some of the youth and the CSOs was strong with some of the youth still working with the same CSOs.