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Meet our 2019 Global Award Winners

The Prince’s Trust were honoured to present the inaugural Global Award to two winners this year: Nilam Tambe and Ahmed Abu Rumman. Find out how Prince’s Trust International and our delivery partners gave Nilam and Ahmed the tools to improve their lives.

10th June 2019

Nilam Tambe

Nilam lives in Bhavani Nagar, a slum area in Bhandup, with her mum, dad and two younger siblings. Home is a kitchen, toilet and shared sleeping area. Nilam’s father is a labourer, making his daily wage on a construction site. The financial strain on the family is great as Nilam’s father tries to provide for the entire family and for three children in education. Having no guidance about job availability, Nilam didn’t know where to head next.

She heard about the Magic Bus programme from one of her friends and decided to find out more. After the Taster Day she was given a place on the sector-specific ‘Get Into’ batch. In this programme, she gained training on employability skills such as IT and English, as well as personal development skills. With training being orientated on the practical abilities she would need for work, Nilam started to gain a portfolio of skills and experience which brought forward the possibility of paid employment.

Nothing was a problem for Nilam: she seized opportunities to work shifts at employer Kidzania, no matter the hour she had to clock on.  Kidzania were so impressed, they offered her a job as a Supervisor, with a stable monthly salary, much to Nilam’s delight.

The opportunity granted to Nilam has made a tremendous impact on her and her family’s future.  “This course is a life-changing experience for me. I had no direction but Magic Bus guided me with the right skills, the right training, the right life learning which I now implement in my work and personal life.”

Ahmad Abu Rumman

Marginalised and disenfranchised is what 28-year-old Ahmad Abu Rumman felt only two years ago. “I failed at school, at finding a job, at supporting my family, I had no life goals and no hope for a better future; my life felt like a desperate and hopeless void.”

Growing up, Ahmad felt like he had no chance of becoming someone who benefits himself, let alone his community. “Whenever I would pass by one of my neighbours, people would mutter ‘there’s a trouble-maker’ or ‘here comes trouble’. People had no respect for me. They wouldn’t even greet me.”

Three years later, Ahmad learned of the Adventure Team programme, implemented by Mercy Corps, in partnership with Prince’s Trust International. The 12-week personal development programme includes a one-week camping trip with the goals of reducing toxic stress, building personal resilience and increasing livelihood opportunities. Ahmad participated in a 160 km hike from Karak to Petra. The group blogged, tweeted and held live video updates, reaching over 1 million youth on Facebook. Then, a job came up at a radio station. It was the first time Ahmad had a ‘real’ job where he felt the responsibility of having to arrive on time and complete his tasks well. “I was finally given the chance to see what lies beyond my community and my toxic habits, that’s when I started developing myself. People actually wanted me to do better, they wanted to me be a better version of myself.”

Through his participation in the programme, Ahmad developed a growing interest in adventure and outdoor activities, he stuck with the training and successfully avoided returning to his old habits. “I knew that I was being given a chance, so I was fully invested – mind, body, and soul.”

Hiking and exploring, Ahmad discovered the Jordan Trail map and couldn’t find his hometown on it. He contacted the Jordan River Foundation – a local NGO – who were responsible for identifying locations where the trail is set to pass, and after many meetings, they agreed to let Ahmad set up a trail from Salt that would be included in the Jordan Trail Network.”

Now Ahmad is a local guide for the trail in Salt, connecting visitors from around the world to his community. He also works as an Adventure Coach with the Mercy Corps’ Nubader youth program where he gets to practice what he loves while providing vulnerable youth with psychosocial support and self-help skills. ““Things have changed for me, I’ve gained the respect of people that I love, and the community at large. ”