Abdelrahman Rayeq

Abdelrahman is currently working as a U.S. – Jordan Leadership Exchange Senior Program Coordinator.

He has experience in working in various roles in the humanitarian and development field. Previously, Abdelrahman worked with Generations for Peace as a Programs Coordinator on Maharati Leadership Programme, Youth Peace and Security Resolution and Climate Action Programme. Abdelrahman has worked also on Nubader Psychosocial Support Program to support Jordanian and Syrian youth by promoting learning and psychosocial resiliency. Moreover, he has been involved in several volunteering opportunities with different organizations such as Princess Basma Youth Resource Centre, ActionAid, Jordanian Women Qualifying and Training Society, United Nation Volunteers, Al Jude for Scientific Care, International Youth Foundation, SPARK International and Leaders of Tomorrow.

Abdelrahman has an experience in working with youth, children, and women on different fields. He was able to train children on psychodrama as a trainer with ARDD Legal Aid on a community project at Sahab, Amman. In addition, he was a trainer with PBYRC on basic life skills for children from Al Dulail, Jordan, and Syrian refugees aiming to increase social cohesion between these communities.

He worked as a Training Coordinator at Jordan Paramedic Society. In his role, he was responsible for all training development projects of the personnel of The Ministry of Health. Furthermore, he has experience in working as a consultant. He is specialist in the training of trainers, british parliament debate skills and project management of development in civic, social, and political organizations. Also, Abdelrahman is a member of many regional and international youth networks and organizations such as Electron Youth Network and the Lazord Foundation Fellows Network.

Abdelrahman was the facilitator at the Lazord retreat, focusing on the well-being of fellows. He coordinated workshops centered on self-care, mindfulness, and team building. The program aimed to empower fellows, nurturing resilience, and revitalizing their dedication to their missions.

Manar Abdullah

Manar Issam Abdullah is a passionate humanist, civil engineer, and advocate for positive social change, holding a degree from the University of Jordan.

Throughout her career, she has been committed to driving educational and charitable projects aimed at improving lives and fostering a better future for underprivileged communities. Her journey into community service officially began when she became the lead coordinator of The Camp of Gaza Support Campaign (TCGSC), where she worked to empower disadvantaged children and adolescents through education, health awareness, and essential life skills. This role honed her leadership, adaptability, and strategic planning abilities, reinforcing her commitment to championing child rights, education, women’s empowerment, and the welfare of refugee communities.

Stemming from her belief that music is a universal language that unites people, she also pursued and earned a diploma in ‘oud,’ reflecting her dedication to cultural connection.

Manar later worked with the Madrasati Initiative for nearly two years, where she focused on improving the physical and educational environments in some of Jordan’s most underprivileged public schools. Her groundbreaking research on “Period Poverty among Women in Poverty Pockets in Mafraq Governorate, Jordan” became a milestone in her career. This eight-month research project, the first of its kind in Jordan and the Middle East, won national recognition through the Lazord Fellowship competition.

In her current role, Manar leads the Jordan Young Scientists (JoYS) initiative at the Embassy of Ireland in Jordan, a national programme aimed at inspiring and rewarding young people who excel in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Under her leadership, the JoYS initiative, which is modeled after a 60-year-old programme in Ireland, has expanded its impact in Jordan, motivating students to apply scientific knowledge in innovative ways.

In addition to her role as the lead coordinator for JoYS, Manar also heads the Green Team at the Embassy of Ireland, spearheading sustainability initiatives. The team focuses on improving environmental practices within the embassy and the residence, setting yearly goals and benchmarks to advance sustainability efforts.

Manar is also a strong advocate for climate resilience and sustainability in Jordan. Most recently, she authored a position paper on “The Effect of Climate Change on Agriculture Sustainability in Jordan,” which she presented as the moderator and main speaker to both the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Environment. Her work on this topic underscores her commitment to addressing one of the most pressing global challenges—climate change—and its local impacts.

Mallak Bani Mustafa

Mallak is an engineer, social entrepreneur, and co-founder of SHABABIT, a digital tool that promotes knowledge about and from youth-friendly services (YFS) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). For five years, she served in the area of sustainable-focused innovation in Jordan, the Arab region, the EU, and the UK, assisting 40 startups from a vulnerable region in launching their businesses from the ideation phase, with the goal of promoting sustainable economic development and decent work. She was awarded a TOTAL prize, the Hult prize, for her renewable energy invention in biodiesel production. She is a STEM Ambassador and a Siad Foundation Alumna, in addition to being a Lazord Fellowship Alumna.

She is certified in project management from Red R UK and MDF with three years of experience. Her 550 national and international volunteer hours were devoted to SDG 8, 5, and 11 through TEDX, UNLEASH, SUSSEX University, Anna Lindh Jordanian Network, Solyia, and Erasmus+, in addition to IAESTE in the Czech.

Nour Akileh

Nour received her BA from Hashemite University, majoring in Literature and Cultural Studies in English. She graduated at the top 3% of her class and was awarded a very prestigious opportunity to represent Jordan abroad in the Study of the U.S Institutes for Student Leaders program at Bard College, New York, becoming one of the International Exchange Alumni. While maintaining her academic excellence, Nour has always been keen on finding a balance between her studies and extracurricular activities and community work in an attempt to help those in need and to grow her personality. Hence, she has an extensive volunteering experience both locally and internationally.

Nour has a unique experience, just like her personality, resulting from the diverse knowledge and experiences she has acquired throughout her journey before, during and after the Lazord Fellowship. She has experience working in cross-cultural communications, further enriched by years of solid experiences in research, innovation and entrepreneurship. This has contributed to creating the cosmopolitan leader she has become.

Nour cares for others and is passionate about intercultural communication and its role in promoting peace and coexistence in communities. Therefore, she has a genuine belief that mutual understanding lead to more inclusive and tolerant societies and that small actions make a big difference.

Nihad Zeidan

Nihad studied Business Administration and graduated from the Hashemite University with honors. He is passionate about technology and a strong believer in his ability to create an impact and inspire positive change.

Throughout his university years, he worked and volunteered in many civil society organizations and programs.

Nihad truly believes in the importance of self-development and continuous learning; thus, he always works on his knowledge and skills.

He joined one of the most unique programs, Lazord Fellowship, that equipped him with various soft skills and helped him to discover not only civil society, NGOs and the humanitarian field but also himself, and allowed him to work in different areas such as monitoring and evaluation, conducting a research and many more that indirectly helped him to discover his passion in tech.

Therefore, he studied full-stack web development at LTUC – ASAC under one of the most powerful tech boot camps in Jordan in collaboration with Code Fellows Academy and is currently working as a software developer.

Yosra Bahri

Yosra is a 31-year-old international relations graduate with an ongoing master’s degree in political science, diplomacy and international relations. She is also a Lazord Fellow and project coordinator at Search for Common Ground Tunisia. Interested in international relations, she has visited the European Institutions and both the French Senate and Parliament. She believes that being a part of the Lazord Fellowship will help her to improve her skills and to be a helpful member of society.

Taher Qatanani

Taher is passionate about youth empowerment and personal development. He was a member of AIESEC in Jordan for 5 years during which he was a recruitment team member and team leader, a vice president of talent management, a member of the outgoing exchange team, and a member on other international teams. Through AIESEC, he participated in two exchange programs, one that took place in India and the other in Poland. He believes that continued learning is the key for success in life. In his free time, Taher always looks for learning opportunities to develop himself and to reflect that development on his community.

Shahd Almahameed

Originally from Jordan, Shahd is a dedicated learner who ranked fourth on Jordan’s high school exam before studying Applied English at the University of Jordan. During her time there, she went on an Erasmus+ exchange program at the University of Cyprus, where she was involved in theater and fiction writing. She additionally participated in a teacher’s literacy enhancement workshop at UCY Nicosia. Since then, Shahd has served as a Team Member at AIESEC before being promoted to Team Leader in the Outgoing Global Volunteer Programme. Shahd is also a Youth Ambassador of the Netherlands Education Group. She attended Introduction to Dialogue Facilitation by Sharing Perspectives Foundation. In her free time, Shahd writes short stories and poems, as well as about her personal experiences and travels on her blog. You might also find her watching videos of cats and pugs on YouTube.

Obaida Mohammad

Obaida’s passion has always been to develop and improve the quality of education in Jordan. As a big step forward he joined the Lazord Fellowship, and is currently working as a Youth Project Officer at Madrasati Initiative. He considers that one of his most positive qualities is his ability to see his mistakes and evaluate them early. You can always see the positive energy emanating from his eyes, even under the most difficult situations. His most distinguishing quality is perhaps his love for people and their differences, this being always reflected on his performance when working on a team.

Aya Al Khazale

Aya has a B.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Jordan. She has always loved being a part of the volunteer community. During college, she followed her passion for volunteering by participating in student committees, the student union, and any other volunteer-related activities. Her experience at the University of Jordan allowed her to become the successful engineer that she had always hope to be. Her dream is to become a positive changemaker in her community. When she learned about the Lazord Fellowship, she found that it was the opportunity that she was seeking to help her refine her skills, pursue her ambitions, and achieve her goals.