Basmla is a kind and thoughtful girl who loves going to the Bani Mazar Empowerment Center because she learns things there that truly change her life. One day, she and her friends made fun of another girl at school, but in that moment, Basmla remembered what she learned of the Transformational Community Development (TCD) ideals at the center: “We should never bully anyone, because every person has dignity and was made beautiful in their own way.”

Basmla decided to go to the girl and say, “I’m sorry; I was wrong to do that, and I won’t do it again.” Since that day, Basmla has started to see people differently. Later, another situation happened. One of her friends made fun of her dark skin, but this time, Basmla stayed calm and said, “It’s okay, she can say what she wants. This is who I am; I was created this way. I’m happy with how I look.”

Basmla also learned about personal cleanliness—that taking care of her appearance is a way to respect herself. From another lesson, she learned about choosing good friends. That’s when she realized one of her friends wasn’t a good influence, so she decided to stop spending time with her and instead be friends with someone kind, respectful, and well-behaved.

Basmla explained, “I really love the center because it teaches us good values and helps us learn things we can live by, like not bullying others, keeping ourselves clean, and staying away from bad friends.”

Now, Basmla has become a wise and confident girl who knows how to choose what’s right and shows kindness and respect to everyone around her.

Adam’s story is different. He is a young teen who works as a mechanic. He’s successful at his job and liked by the people around him, but things weren’t always this way. Adam used to get upset easily and sometimes answered harshly when someone hurt him. He didn’t always think about helping others. Everything started to change when Adam began spending time at the Empowerment Center. There, he found a place that welcomed him, encouraged him, and taught him real lessons about love, forgiveness, and kindness.

Adam shared, “I love the center because we spend good time there and learn great lessons. I learned not to hurt anyone, to help others, and not to get angry when someone offends me—but to forgive instead.”

He also shared something that happened recently: “Yesterday, while I was at work, there was a boy working alone. He asked me to bring him some food, and I decided to help him because I’ve learned to care for the people around me.”

Adam is now different. He’s calmer, kinder, and always thinks before he acts. He wants to be a light among people—to help, to forgive, and to love.

Thank you,

Written by Fady, GHNI TCD Worker