Ahmed Abu Oun Future Reporter and Self Advocate
Ahmed Abu Oun is in his third year of print journalism at Al Aqsa University in Gaza and recently took trainings that allowed him to further his skills as a journalist and self advocate. In addition, Ahmed's family was also given a grant to start their own business which allows him to focus his energy on completing school and starting his career.
Ahmed Abu Oun is 22 years old and lives in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. For the family of eleven, five sisters and four brothers, Ahmed’s father is the family’s main breadwinner and has been unemployed for years. Facing difficult conditions the family were granted micro-business support in the form of a home appliances project as part of the Al Fakhoora-DEEP joint project.
Ahmed is currently in his third year of print journalism at Al Aqsa University and prior to this completed a diploma in public relations.
During the last year, Ahmed also completed a few soft skills development courses, which were organized as a part of a project called ‘Engage Youth’ which is implemented by the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) and supported by Al Fakhoora’s Dynamic Futures Program.
“I took several courses such as MS Word and Excel in both beginner and advanced levels, as well as photography and advocacy training. These have been very useful to me, giving me new knowledge that is specifically related to my career as a future journalist.” Ahmed stated.
Ahmed added, “Having a practical training was excellent. We did indoor and outdoor photography shoots under the coaching of a professional photographer – This is what we truly need, field training that brushes up our skills. We also learned how to advocate about our issues and lobby policy makers about our needs and how to plan campaigns.”
Ahmed concluded, “I truly believe that these courses will increase my chances of finding a job and be an added value when competing with other graduates in the market. For me, these skills are the basics of a skilled journalist.”
