Lazord Foundation celebrates 10th anniversary in Kingdom

AMMAN — The Lazord Foundation in Jordan has graduated 120 fellows, Jordanians and non Jordanians, through the Lazord Fellowship Programme over the past 10 years.

The foundation celebrated its 10 year anniversary in Jordan on Sunday, with a graduation ceremony for the 10th cohort of fellows, in collaboration with INJAZ, a local non-profit.

The Lazord Foundation supports the design, implementation, and development of experiential and educational programs for young professionals in the Arab and Mediterranean region, according to its website

According to the foundation, Jordan joined the Lazord Fellowship Programme in 2012 with INJAZ as the main implementing entity in the Kingdom.

The one year fellowship programme consists of four stages: Host organisation and job placement, which paves the way for fellows to have an opportunity of suitable employment in a host organisation which could be a local or an international organisation; mentoring, which provides the fellows with guidance, and assists them in accelerating personal and professional growth; the research project, which is a regional fellowship requirement; and continuing education, the learning path of the training sessions which is divided into three levels: The personality level, community level and global level.

According to Lazord, 80 host organisations host and contribute to the Lazordian’s career development, 30 training sessions are provided every year for Lazord fellows, and five regional research competitions were held, with the Jordan branch winning three of them.

CEO of INJAZ Deema Bibi emphasised the youth’s role in finding non-traditional solutions to the current challenges, which are “increasingly complex and require consistent and coordinated efforts from all sectors, institutions and individuals,” during her remarks.

“Today, we see great interest in creating an entrepreneurial environment which supports leadership and community leadership, as it is important for economic and social advancement and development, which is why we need a responsible generation, aware of challenges, capable of seizing opportunities and inventing effective solutions,” Bibi added.

Hussein Al Jbour, Secretary General of the Ministry of Youth, said that the ministry is keen to coordinate and cooperate with all entities working with youth to work on their development and therefore developing the Kingdom.

Ashraf Bin Saeed, a 29-year-old Yemeni living in Jordan who graduated from the fellowship programme on Sunday, said that the programme helped him explore and engage in the Jordanian youth community both personally and professionally.

“The programme provided me with capacity training and mentorship which has given me an advantage and great opportunities in my career, as the fellowship provide us with all the required skills, knowledge and experience for the job market,” Bin Saeed told The Jordan Times.

Musab Al Nahawi, a 26-year old Jordanian Lazord Alumini (2017), told The Jordan Times that the fellowship programme had a significant impact not only on his professional life, but also on his personality.

“I have taken the fellowship right after graduation, which helped me know what I wanted from life and as a career through the mentorship and trainings. It was a great opportunity and experience to improve, learn, and adapt to all work environments,” Nahawi said.

Rahaf Jaber, a 25-year old Jordanians who is a current fellow for the Lazord Fellowship Programme, told The Jordan Times that the fellowship “shaped a breakthrough” in her life.

“During the five months I have spent in the programme until now, I have been able to develop and improve myself and my skills more than any time before with the help of mentors and training sessions. I apply what I learn immediately and it feels great,” she said.