10 January 2009
KUWAIT: The mission of the Lothan Youth Achievement Center (LoYAC) is to provide young people in Kuwait with unique opportunities to develop their personal growth and explore their talents and potential. LoYAC also strives to help young adults build and enhance their professional skills so that they can find their sense of purpose while evolving into highly effective and competent young leaders. LoYAC's International Internship Program provides unique opportunities for young people to train abroad and study in the fields of political science, nutrition, engineering and other subjects in cooperation with international institutions.
In the past, students have worked with the British Parliament, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and ExxonMobil. Recently, students were sent to reputable financial institutions like SEI in London and international media companies such as Landor Associates in Dubai.
This year, Bedour Al-Khalifa was sent to the British Parliament, Bashyer Al-Bader to IFAD, Dalal Al-Nukhailan to FAO, Mohamed Al-Farouki and Bader Al-Shawa to SEI and Bader Al-Ajeel was sent to Landor. Dalal Al-Nukhlailan, 21, who studied at Kuwait University and majored in nutrition, was sent to Rome to intern with the Food and Agricultural Organization. LoYAC was responsible for everything from establishing accommodations for the students to arranging their flights to and from Kuwait.
Dalal said she wanted to represent her country and benefit from the knowledge gained by working with a reputable organization. "They chose me because of my prior accomplishments. I travelled to France with my high school, Kuwait English school, and I was the group's team leader for a geography study. I gained some experience from that trip," Dalal said, adding that her communication skills were improved while she learned to respect and listen to the points of view of others. "I would change food habits and the diet here in Kuwait and try to promote awareness toward healthy nutrition and exercise." She later said, "I learned to be responsible, and the most important thing is that I learned to take chances and eliminate fear.
Mohamed Al-Farouki, 23, studied at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. His major was industrial engineering with a minor in finance. "LoYAC really does value people who achieve," he said.
Mohamed said the high level of professionalism and efficiency at SEI made him work hard and taught him responsibility. "When someone owns their own business, they tend be more serious about their work and perform their tasks better," he said. He added that he would like to see young people move away from the traditional style of operating business and adopt more modern methods. "Being in a foreign country is a great learning experience. While experiencing a new culture, I got to meet people who exposed me to a new way of life, and it makes you value your own culture," he said. Mohamed is a living example of LoYAC's efforts to mold young Kuwaitis into hard-working, intelligent individuals who can offer a world of contributions to their country. "I learned to be humble and responsible," he said.
Bedour Al-Khalifa, 21, studied at GUST, where she majored in business administration. LOYAC also sent Bedour to the British Parliament. "I saw political life in London and how they dealt with politics. I noticed that there were many women present at the British Parliament and I also noticed that the degree of tolerance in the UK was very high. They respect Muslims. I saw a man with a long beard dressed in traditional Muslim clothing at the Parliament building. They respect ethics and religion," she said, adding that there was an abundance of highly educated Kuwaiti women who could serve in Kuwait's Parliament. Bedour also said that one of the things she learned to admire in England was the peoples' sense of punctuality, adding that she hoped people in Kuwait would learn to respect time as well.
Before my time in England, I wasn't very confident or independent. But after facing the real world, I developed strong characteristics. I also learned how to accept different people from different cultures," she said. Bedour said she would like to see a change in how people interact with each other in Kuwait and said that racism should not be a part of Kuwaiti society. "We're all human and we should treat each other as equals," she concluded.
By Rawan Khalid © Kuwait Times 2009
KUWAIT: The mission of the Lothan Youth Achievement Center (LoYAC) is to provide young people in Kuwait with unique opportunities to develop their personal growth and explore their talents and potential. LoYAC also strives to help young adults build and enhance their professional skills so that they can find their sense of purpose while evolving into highly effective and competent young leaders. LoYAC's International Internship Program provides unique opportunities for young people to train abroad and study in the fields of political science, nutrition, engineering and other subjects in cooperation with international institutions.
In the past, students have worked with the British Parliament, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and ExxonMobil. Recently, students were sent to reputable financial institutions like SEI in London and international media companies such as Landor Associates in Dubai.
This year, Bedour Al-Khalifa was sent to the British Parliament, Bashyer Al-Bader to IFAD, Dalal Al-Nukhailan to FAO, Mohamed Al-Farouki and Bader Al-Shawa to SEI and Bader Al-Ajeel was sent to Landor. Dalal Al-Nukhlailan, 21, who studied at Kuwait University and majored in nutrition, was sent to Rome to intern with the Food and Agricultural Organization. LoYAC was responsible for everything from establishing accommodations for the students to arranging their flights to and from Kuwait.
Dalal said she wanted to represent her country and benefit from the knowledge gained by working with a reputable organization. "They chose me because of my prior accomplishments. I travelled to France with my high school, Kuwait English school, and I was the group's team leader for a geography study. I gained some experience from that trip," Dalal said, adding that her communication skills were improved while she learned to respect and listen to the points of view of others. "I would change food habits and the diet here in Kuwait and try to promote awareness toward healthy nutrition and exercise." She later said, "I learned to be responsible, and the most important thing is that I learned to take chances and eliminate fear.
Mohamed Al-Farouki, 23, studied at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. His major was industrial engineering with a minor in finance. "LoYAC really does value people who achieve," he said.
Mohamed said the high level of professionalism and efficiency at SEI made him work hard and taught him responsibility. "When someone owns their own business, they tend be more serious about their work and perform their tasks better," he said. He added that he would like to see young people move away from the traditional style of operating business and adopt more modern methods. "Being in a foreign country is a great learning experience. While experiencing a new culture, I got to meet people who exposed me to a new way of life, and it makes you value your own culture," he said. Mohamed is a living example of LoYAC's efforts to mold young Kuwaitis into hard-working, intelligent individuals who can offer a world of contributions to their country. "I learned to be humble and responsible," he said.
Bedour Al-Khalifa, 21, studied at GUST, where she majored in business administration. LOYAC also sent Bedour to the British Parliament. "I saw political life in London and how they dealt with politics. I noticed that there were many women present at the British Parliament and I also noticed that the degree of tolerance in the UK was very high. They respect Muslims. I saw a man with a long beard dressed in traditional Muslim clothing at the Parliament building. They respect ethics and religion," she said, adding that there was an abundance of highly educated Kuwaiti women who could serve in Kuwait's Parliament. Bedour also said that one of the things she learned to admire in England was the peoples' sense of punctuality, adding that she hoped people in Kuwait would learn to respect time as well.
Before my time in England, I wasn't very confident or independent. But after facing the real world, I developed strong characteristics. I also learned how to accept different people from different cultures," she said. Bedour said she would like to see a change in how people interact with each other in Kuwait and said that racism should not be a part of Kuwaiti society. "We're all human and we should treat each other as equals," she concluded.
By Rawan Khalid © Kuwait Times 2009
