Preparing for Community Interventions: Yalla Changers Participate in the Initiatives’ Innovation Challenge
The Social Developmental Forum has launched the Initiatives Challenge “Yalla Challenge” as the first post-training phase of the sixth season of the “Yalla Change” program, engaging youth across Gaza and the West Bank.
This initiative falls under the broader project, “Empowering Palestinian Youth to Lead Recovery and Development in Palestine,” implemented in partnership with the Norwegian People’s Aid Association (NPA). The challenge aims to translate the knowledge and skills participants gained during the training into practical youth-led initiatives that address community needs and deliver tangible impact.
Community-based Initiatives
During the challenge, “Changers” developed feasible community initiatives that foster civic engagement, creative thinking, and teamwork, directly contributing to recovery and development efforts within the Palestinian society.
The two-day challenge featured dedicated collaboration between participant groups, culminating in presentation sessions before a selection committee to identify the most viable initiatives for implementation.
Program Coordinator, Nedaa Abu Erjela stated: “The program focuses on recovery and development, how we can design initiatives that serve this purpose. The Changers developed proposals aligned with current realities that strengthen resilience, contribute to recovery, and encourage perseverance.”
The initiative proposals designed by youth directly support the programme’s objectives in leading recovery and development. This proves young people are fully capable of fulfilling their leading role in driving change and reconstruction, and becoming integral partners in the process.
Nedaa Abu Erjela, Program Coordinator
Initiatives Design
The challenge spanned across two intensive days, beginning with the alumni Changers mentoring youth groups. Day one featured an opening session outlining challenge objectives and methodology, followed by theoretical training on Human-Centered Design (HCD) and SMART goal formulation, in addition to a review of the initiative proposal framework.
During the practical segment, participants formed six teams, each developing preliminary initiative proposals under alumni facilitator’s supervision. The day concluded with key takeaways and preparation for the next phase of the programme.
Developing Ideas and Pitches
The second day began with training on pitching skills, followed by intensive preparation sessions mentored by the programme’s alumni. Youth teams then pitched their initiative proposals to a specialized jury panel, receiving constructive feedback after each presentation.
The jury ultimately selected 4 youth initiatives in Gaza and 2 in the West Bank, each distinguished by innovation, feasibility, and relevance to local community needs, for implementation in the programme’s next phase.
truly exceptional, it helped me transform ideas into concrete steps that can create real community change. I learned that initiatives are pathways to creating an impact, and that change starts with a small idea you believe in and work to achieve.
Tala Obeid, Participation
Her fellow Changer Aisha Al-Sous noted: “Yalla Challenge was my first experience of this kind. It opened new horizons and pushed me beyond my comfort zone. Though challenging, it taught me to confront, learn, and grow. I now feel more confident and ready to contribute to community initiatives where we can make a difference as a conscious youth team.”
Participant Muhammad Abu Samra added: “Both the training and the challenge weren’t ordinary experiences, they were an adventure that taught us how to create impact with purpose and passion. We took on the challenge, we learned, and now we’re ready to make change in the field.”
Youth-Lead Change
This challenge reflects the SDF‘s commitment to empowering youth as active leaders in their communities, supporting creative initiatives that build a more resilient society capable of recovery and sustainable development amid the difficult circumstances Palestinians endure.
The sixth season of “Yalla Change” was launched in September with 60 participants, 40 from the Gaza Strip and 20 from the northern West Bank, guided by skilled trainers who delivered comprehensive theoretical and practical learning sessions.
Since its establishment in 2017, Yalla Change has become a leading youth programme in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, remaining the SDF’s most vibrant and impactful youth intervention. It has empowered over 300 young men and women across Palestine, strengthening their community roles and leadership at both local and national levels, and fostering their abilities to influence public policy.
Through this programme, SDF aims to positively impact young lives by enhancing their social and political participation, creating safe spaces for meaningful dialogue with peers and decision-makers, and expanding opportunities for active civic engagement and youth-led advocacy.