{"id":7437,"date":"2025-05-27T11:32:54","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T08:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iccjo.org\/human-stories\/%f0%9f%8c%bf-afaq-al-riyada-association-for-development-and-training-from-an-ambitious-idea-to-a-community-platform-for-environmental-impact-and-sustainable-development\/"},"modified":"2025-07-02T14:29:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T11:29:20","slug":"%f0%9f%8c%bf-afaq-al-riyada-association-for-development-and-training-from-an-ambitious-idea-to-a-community-platform-for-environmental-impact-and-sustainable-development","status":"publish","type":"human-stories","link":"https:\/\/iccjo.org\/en\/human-stories\/%f0%9f%8c%bf-afaq-al-riyada-association-for-development-and-training-from-an-ambitious-idea-to-a-community-platform-for-environmental-impact-and-sustainable-development\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf3f Afaq Al-Riyada Association for Development and Training: From an Ambitious Idea to a Community Platform for Environmental Impact and Sustainable Development"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\ud83c\udf3f I am a member of Afaq Al-Riyada Association for Development and Training<\/strong>, an organization founded with a clear vision to create positive and sustainable change in our local communities\u2014especially in the fields of environment, development, and training. From the very beginning, we believed that ideas alone are not enough; they must be supported by knowledge tools, strategic partnerships, and real implementation skills in order to translate into tangible impact.<\/p>\n\n

\ud83d\udd04 Turning Point: Participation in the “Training for Change” Project<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\ud83c\udf1f At a pivotal stage in our journey, we were granted a golden opportunity by joining the “Training for Change” project<\/strong>, implemented by the Change Makers Center for Sustainable Development in collaboration with the West Asia\u2013North Africa (WANA) Institute. This wasn\u2019t just a training program\u2014it was a true platform for building our institutional capacities from the ground up.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

\ud83d\udcda Through this project, we experienced a rich journey of learning and hands-on application in:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  • \ud83d\udcca Systematic Analysis of Local Community Needs<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \ud83d\udee0\ufe0f Designing Development Initiatives Based on Accurate Data and Tangible Realities<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \ud83d\udcdd Writing Project Proposals Professionally to Meet Donor Requirements and Address Development Priorities<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

    \ud83e\udde9 These skills were not merely theoretical knowledge\u2014they became a core part of the association\u2019s identity and the starting point for every project we undertake today.<\/p>\n\n

    \n\n

    \ud83c\udf31 From Learning to Implementation: A Sustainable Environmental Development Project<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

    \ud83d\udca1 One of the most significant outcomes of this experience was receiving a financial grant through the project<\/strong>, which we used to launch an environmental development initiative focused on sustainable solutions. The initiative was designed and implemented based on the knowledge and skills we gained during the training.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

    \ud83c\udf3f The project focused on three main pillars:<\/p>\n\n

      \n
    • \u267b\ufe0f Raising awareness about recycling as part of a shift toward positive environmental behavior in the community<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • \ud83c\udf33 Expanding Green Spaces in Neighborhoods and Public Areas through Youth-Led Participatory Initiatives<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • \ud83c\udf0d Promoting Environmental Awareness Among Women and Youth Through Interactive Workshops and Field Campaigns<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

      \ud83c\udf0d This project was not merely an environmental activity\u2014it was a micro-model of sustainable development grounded in understanding community needs and collaborating with its members.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

      \n\n

      \ud83c\udfdb\ufe0f Institutional Impact: Professionalism and Building Trust<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

      \ud83c\udfdb\ufe0f Today, after this experience, we no longer see Afaq Al-Riyada Association as just a local organization, but as a community-driven entity capable of making real, lasting impact.<\/strong> Through what we learned in the “Training for Training” program, we were able to:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

        \n
      • \ud83d\udcc8 Developing a Professional Work Methodology Based on Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • \ud83d\udcdd Enhancing Our Ability to Write Strong Proposals to Secure Future Grants<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • \ud83e\udd1d Strengthening Community Trust and Building New Partnerships with Supportive Entities<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
        \n\n

        \ud83d\udce2 The Message: One Opportunity Can Create a Complete Transformation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

        \ud83c\udf1f The story of Afaq Al-Riyada Association is that of a small organization that began with a dream\u2014but it had the determination and seized a single training opportunity to achieve a qualitative leap in its performance and impact.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6421,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-7437","human-stories","type-human-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iccjo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/human-stories\/7437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iccjo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/human-stories"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iccjo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/human-stories"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iccjo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iccjo.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}