Abir Belmabrouk

Passionate advocate Abir Belmabrouk, recipient of the prestigious Chevening Scholarship and holder of an MA in Gender Analysis in International Development from the University of East Anglia, combines academic excellence with practical impact. With a focus on gender equality, human rights, and youth empowerment, she dynamically contributes to a more just and empowered world, representing Tunisia in youth diplomacy and peacebuilding programs, showcasing a unique blend of academic prowess and real-world impact.

Seif Ben Youssef

Seif Ben Youssef has a master’s degree in international humanitarian law and human rights from the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of Tunis and is currently a PhD student in international law at the same university. He is also currently a project coordinator at Avocats Sans Frontières-Tunisia. As a Lazord Fellow, he spent a year at the Tunisian Organization for Social Cohesion, where he was first a project assistant and then a project coordinator.

Ali Zaghdoudi

Ali holds a professional master’s degree in digital geography (Geomatics), is an athlete and has been an activist in civil society for five years. His goal has always been to make change in his community and work to create opportunities for youth to develop themselves and achieve their goals. He is proud to have been able to build a network of relationships with different nationalities throughout his experiences. His experience with the Lazord Fellowship has opened other doors for him, the latest of which was his participation in the Erasmus student exchange program in France. Being a part of Erasmus helped him achieve part of his ambitions, which is to travel and build relationships with other nationalities and to have the opportunity to broaden his views on the world in which we live, regarding in particular our ideas and beliefs.

Mohammad Sweidat

Mohammad is a Jordanian non-governmental organizations professional with 3+ years of experience in NGOs and extensive experience coordinating multi-stakeholder development projects related to local governance, accountability, and advocacy in Jordan and the MENA region. Currently, Mohammad is part of the Advocacy and Government Affairs team at the King Hussein Cancer Foundation. In addition to his role in managing Siwar Program, a program with more than 10,000 volunteers supporting the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Centre in achieving their objectives, Mohammad also supports the national advocacy efforts that focus on serving KHCF’s patients’ centered agenda, enabling the success of the interventions in policy form, advocacy evidence generation, and stakeholder engagement and mobilization.

Ahmed Oueslati

Ahmed’s background consists of a magical mix of civil society, business advisory and some politics. He has an academic background in finances and management sciences that is complemented by his volunteering and continuous civil society work, and mixed in with his professional work experiences. Ahmed always puts to good use his skills, his professional and academic background, and his energy for all international and national opportunities, allowing him to build a solid career.

Mariem Ben Issa

Meriem Ben Issa is an IT Law Researcher from Tunisia, specializing in the dynamic field where law intersects with technology. Holding a master’s degree in public law from the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of Tunis, Meriem brings a strong academic foundation to her work. With over five years of hands-on experience in the development sector, particularly in digital rights related projects, she demonstrates a practical understanding of legal issues in the digital sphere. Currently pursuing her second master’s degree in information technology law at the University of Tartu in Estonia, Meriem remains dedicated to expanding her expertise and contributing to the evolving sector of technology law.

Abir Tayari

Abir has a bachelor’s degree in English language, literature, and civilization. She has 2 master’s degrees, one in English for technology and another in management of non-profit organizations. She has a deep interest in research; this is why she did a research internship with Maghreb Economic Forum and always seeks research-related experiences. Among the things she is interested in are fundraising, communication, civic engagement, M&E, and project management. Abir has always been keen about NGOs, and this is why she wanted to put her studies into practice through the Lazord Fellowship. She was placed at the organization I WATCH, where she was a citizen engagement officer. During her studies, she provided trainings to university clubs members on themes like CSR, knowledge management, design thinking, and social entrepreneurship. Recently she started giving trainings on civic engagement and advocacy. Abir is currently a project and financial assistant in Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and a facilitator with ENACTUS Tunisia.

Nada AlQudah

Nada is a children’s advocate and protection enthusiast with a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature.

Since she was 18 years old, Nada has joined several organizations and networks such as the British Council, Arabic HeforShe, and Loyac Jordan, focusing on child protection, education, and youth development. She is fortunate to have been able to engage in such opportunities where she has built a passion for child protection and education.

During the Lazord Fellowship, Nada worked with Global Nomads Group in global enrichment programs for young learners in the Middle East and the United States to promote empathy and peace, and build 21st-century workforce skills. Additionally, for the Lazord Fellowship Final Research Project, she conducted research on the, “Impact of social media platforms on self-esteem and body image,” and presented her project during the Lazord International Conference.

After the fellowship, Nada began working for refugees and vulnerable communities, with a focus on protection, inclusion, and gender, at a local organization in Jordan. She has led an advocacy campaign for children who have experienced the worst forms of child labor in partnership with Walk Free organization.

Ahlem Zarrouk

Ahlem received her master’s degree in earth science from the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis in 2018. She wrked for a private mines and petroleum services company for nearly two years. In 2017, while preparing for her master’s degree, she was part of the research team at the Water Researches and Technologies Center, during which she participated in many events and conferences.

To switch careers, Ahlem joined the Lazord Fellowship, and got the chance to start a new experience in the development sector. Through the fellowship, Ahlem was placed at I Watch Organization in Tunis as a Junior Capacity Building Officer. During the year, she was part of the organizing committee of I Watch’s People Conference that hosted over 1000 guests, and other large events. Now she is still part of I Watch but in a different role as a mid-senior staff Program Manager.

Renad Algorani

Renad Algorani is a psychology graduate with three years of experience working in psychology and youth empowerment. She is also a certified Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Renad is the Executive Director of Circle of Hope for Mental Health Awareness. She is also a trainer and supervisor with Saaya Health (Saudi Arabian company).

During the Lazord Fellowship, Renad worked as a Youth Care Project Assistant at SOS Children’s Villages. After graduating from the fellowship, she returned to the SOS to work as a National Safeguarding Coordinator at the national office of the SOS Children’s Villages in Jordan.