Building Skills, Building Hope
Bara'a's journey to confidence and opportunity through digital skills.
When Bara'a graduated from high school, she faced an uncertain future.
At 19, she had hoped to pursue a university degree, but her exam results did not allow her to enroll in her preferred field of study. Even if they had, the cost of higher education was beyond what her family could afford.
Disappointed and unsure of what came next, Bara'a gradually withdrew from the activities she once enjoyed. With family members encouraging her to follow a more traditional path and marry young, she struggled to see new possibilities for herself.
But her mother never stopped believing in her.
"My mom wanted to fight for me to build a different life," Bara'a says.
That opportunity came when her mother learned about the Digital Skills for a Better Future programme and encouraged Bara'a to enroll.
The programme is UNICEF's response to the growing digital divide. Implemented by the Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) across Jordan, it equips young people, especially girls and young women from vulnerable communities, with practical skills that can help them participate in the digital economy and access opportunities to earn an income.
Participants receive training in areas such as graphic design, photography, digital marketing and coding.
At first, Bara'a was reluctant to attend.
After facing several setbacks, she had lost confidence in herself and arrived convinced that little would change. But the welcoming atmosphere and encouragement she received from her coach gradually helped her feel comfortable and supported.
"I opened up. I started laughing, and hope started creeping into my heart again," she says. "I was hesitant at first. I didn't want to hang on to false hope. But the feeling that things will change for the better was too hard to resist."
"Hope started creeping into my heart again," says Bara'a.
As she learned to use Photoshop, Illustrator and photography tools, Bara'a began to see herself differently.She took on increasingly challenging assignments and pushed herself to learn more. Along the way, her instructor continuously encouraged her, reminding her of her creativity and potential.
Each completed assignment strengthened her confidence and reinforced what she was capable of achieving.
From Learning to Earning
The programme also helped Bara'a secure her first internship, giving her valuable workplace experience and the opportunity to apply her newly acquired skills.
For the first time, she was able to see a clear pathway towards employment and financial independence.
Today, Bara'a is motivated to find her next professional opportunity. But her ambitions extend beyond her own future.
Following several strokes, her father is no longer able to work, and her mother is the family's primary source of support. Determined to help, Bara'a is saving to buy a laptop and hopes to create a digital presence for her mother's small skincare business.
"I want to help her by handling the visuals and setting up a dedicated account," Bara'a says. "She helped me a lot. She deserves it."
When asked what advice she would give to other young women facing similar challenges, her response is simple:
"Be stubborn in the face of difficulty. If you're not, you'll give up; and if you give up, you'll get lost. Search, look for opportunities. Because no matter how few and scarce they are, there will always be a door that will open up."
