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First Person
USAID-sponsored competition gives Jordan’s youth a
platform to shine
Young Designer Gets Career Boost
Al Zaghal stands beside his winning
poster.
Photo: USAID/Jordan
“When I walked in I
was so happy to see
my design all over
the place.”
—Murad Al Zaghal
Like so many young people in Jordan and around the world,
Murad Al Zaghal was in need of opportunities to express his
creative voice in a way that contributed to his personal growth.
By participating in USAID’s International Youth Day 2011, 19-
year-old Al Zaghal got a boost to his confidence and abilities
while pursuing his passion for design.
As a young designer studying architecture at Hashemite
University, Al Zaghal was unsure of his choice of major and of
his design abilities. In the summer of 2011, that changed. In
keeping with this year’s theme of “Partnership and
Participation,” USAID organized a design competition with a
local partner, the Interclub House, an educational and
vocational training center. Al Zaghal was encouraged to
participate in the contest, and his modern, sophisticated poster
won.
“When I walked in and saw my design all over the place, on the
backs of t-shirts, and people taking pictures next to the posters
I designed, it was really an amazing feeling,” says Al Zaghal.
He adds: “I never saw my work displayed on such a large scale.
It made me feel it was a good choice to pursue design, and I
thought, ‘what if I had designed the whole building?’”
Along with the exposure he received, his creative esteem has
soared. USAID awarded Al Zaghal with a graphics tablet that
allows him to hand draw images and graphics on his computer.
He is now far better equipped to pursue his passion.
This year’s USAID-sponsored International Youth Day
encouraged the talents and creativity of 400 youth representing
10 universities and organizations in Jordan.
USAID-funded projects, which support millions of Jordanians,
were displayed to encourage the active participation of youth in
such critical areas as health, economic development, job
creation, and sustainable resource management.
Seventy percent of Jordan’s population is under age 30, and
nearly two-thirds of working-age youth are unemployed. The
Government of Jordan has made the positive participation of
youth in all aspects of life a high priority, and USAID recently
initiated an integrated set of programs to address youth and
poverty.
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