Haneen Al-Nawaji: A Voice for Change
In Gaza City, where dreams encounter daily challenges, Haneen Al-Nawaji forges her own path with unwavering steps.
The young media graduate from the University of Palestine chose to give her voice meaning beyond words, launching her podcast “Atheer,” an intimate yet profound space helping youth “start over” and navigate their emotions and pressures amid war and uncertainty.
A Call for Change through “Yalla Change”
Haneen has always been searching for “something beyond the ordinary”. When she learned about the call for applicants for the “Yalla Change” programme through the SDF’s Instagram page, she felt that this was the opportunity she sought. She didn’t know much about the programme, but she felt an urge for change and learning, something to pull her out of the comfort zone she had built around herself.
“I was very nervous before the interview,” she says with a smile, adding, “but the team’s atmosphere was positive and supportive, as if they had known us for a long time.” From that moment, Haneen’s journey with the sixth cohort of the Yalla Change began, a long-standing program implemented by Social Development Forum (SDF), in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).
Haneen participated in the training programme, held over six days in September 2025 across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, involving 60 young men and women who learned how to implement community initiatives and advocacy campaigns.
Haneen describes her experience as “transformative”. She learned that change begins not from the outside, but from within, discovering new capabilities in herself and becoming bolder in expressing her ideas. Reflecting on this, she says, “I learned to listen more, especially to younger people, because they have creative ideas and unique perspectives on the world.”
The transformation was not only personal but also professional. The programme introduced her to new fields like advocacy and community initiatives, making her realize that real change starts with a small idea, an initiative that can contribute to giving people hope.
A Supportive Team
“Yalla Change enriched my perspectives in life. It showed me that building society isn’t just about projects, it’s about maintaining joy in people and changing individuals from within,” Haneen shares enthusiastically about the program.
She expresses deep gratitude for the SDF’s remarkable team, who consistently supported the trainees’ learning journey. She describes her experience as a set of valuable lessons in communication, inspiration, and confidence in youth.
What’s special about Yalla Change is that it doesn’t just give you training, it gives you momentum to start over. It bolsters your ability to make a difference, no matter the circumstances.
Haneen Al-Nawaji, participation in the Yalla Change6
Throughout the program, the training sessions served as an educational and knowledge-based boost. She was particularly inspired by trainer Sultan Nasser’s session on using social media, where she learned to write authentic, impactful content that resonates with people, a skill that directly enhanced her “Atheer.”
A Message to Young People
Looking ahead, Haneen eagerly anticipates the remaining months of the programme. She believes the future holds even greater opportunities, and that what she started here will not end with the training, it will become a way of life.
In her message to youth, she says: “Don’t wait for the perfect conditions to unfold. Start with what you have, and seek out people and places that support you. Change may begin with a simple step, but it’s the one that makes all the difference.”
Haneen Al-Nawaji continues her journey, from behind the microphone and with the people, between voice and action, proving that determination can pave a new path out of pain, just as Yalla Change inspires her to do.
