Story

From volunteering in his community to delivering digital skills training for Syrian refugees to educating his peers about violence against women and girls, Rezek Abazid has leveraged his experiences with DOT Jordan to create a life filled with helping others.

Rezek and his family came to Jordan in 2012 when he was 13-years-old. Originally from Daraa, Syria, Rezek still remembers the bombing and destruction that happened the previous year during the Arab Spring protests. The family now lives in Ramtha, a city in Jordan’s northern Irbid Governorate, just 15 kilometres from his previous hometown. 

Rezek joined DOT Jordan’s digital training and community programs in 2019 after learning about the organization on social media and from his friends. Soon, he was learning a number of digital skills, such as how to use the Microsoft Office suite, data entry and analysis, web design, and WordPress. 

“The training workshops were full of positive energy and provided me with useful information,” reflects Rezek, listing time management as one of the most valuable skills learned. “The programs also instilled in me a sense of responsibility and love of cooperation and teamwork where we exchange our experiences and learn from each other.”

As part of the DOT Jordan training, Rezek created a digital platform called Athar entrepreneurship (athar means ‘impact’ in Arabic). With a focus on educating people about ending violence and harassment against women, Athar connects young women and girls with coaching and trains them to make handicrafts so they can generate an income. 

For that platform, Rezek was awarded second place at a national youth and technology conference. “The key to success goes back to the training programs offered to me by DOT Jordan,” he says.

Rezek also credits the experience and practical skills learned through DOT Jordan’s training for what came next: a series of work and volunteer opportunities with organizations across Irbid. That included a volunteer placement with USAID and work as an administrative employee with the Zaha Cultural Center, which focuses on community development, including with Syrian refugees.

Throughout his work, Rezek has never questioned the importance of helping his community, especially youth who have experienced a situation similar to his own: “Because of their bad conditions and the tragic living circumstances they went through. Being a refugee, I went through this suffering,” explains Rezek of his motivations.

Today, he is working as a coach with IDare, a Jordanian non-profit organization where he trains his peers in some of the digital skills he learned through DOT Jordan. “It is important to give other youth these [digital skills] exercises,” says Rezek. “I advise all young people to participate in [projects like DOT Jordan] because the goal of all those in charge is to support and encourage young people so we are equipped for the labour market with confidence and relevant experiences.”