From One Book to a Movement: The Birth of WordsWithChange

When I founded WordsWithChange, I didn’t imagine it would grow into a cross-regional NGO uniting over 150 volunteers and supporting 650+ students. It began with something simple — a belief that reading shouldn’t be a privilege.

At first, our goal was modest: connect under-resourced schools with donated books. But as we interacted with young readers from the MENA region, I realized literacy wasn’t just about words; it was about agency. Many children we met didn’t see themselves in the stories they read. So, we began designing culturally inclusive reading programs which are ones that reflected local realities and languages.

Building this initiative taught me organizational leadership, strategic communication, and partnership management. I learned to navigate bureaucracy, pitch ideas to sponsors, and coordinate volunteers across borders. More importantly, I learned empathy is the kind that transforms leadership from performance into service.

Today, WordsWithChange continues to expand, but its essence remains the same: education as empowerment. Every story shared becomes a seed of change — and that, to me, is the real legacy of leadership.