TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Engy Abdalla
The main objective of the training was to empower 25 inspiring young leaders from across the Euro-Mediterranean region to confidently launch and manage their initiatives under the Mediterranean Youth in Action (MYA) programme. This training was designed not just to transfer knowledge, but to build the practical skills, leadership confidence, and peer connections that young changemakers need to succeed. This was also before the big event in Tirana, Albania "Al Forum"
The training responded to several key needs identified among youth-led initiatives:
Developing leadership and decision-making skills so participants could effectively guide their teams and communities.
Building capacity in project planning, financial management, and donor reporting to help them implement their projects professionally and meet funder expectations.
Creating a collaborative space for intercultural dialogue, peer learning, and cross-border exchange to strengthen solidarity among youth working on similar issues.
The group brought together a truly diverse mix of 25 participants from Palestine, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Cyprus, Malta, Finland, Egypt, France, Romania, Lebanon, Algeria, and Jordan. Each participant represented a unique initiative — from projects empowering refugee communities, to creative social enterprises using crafts, to campaigns promoting youth civic participation and environmental sustainability.
This diversity created a rich learning environment, where participants exchanged not only methodologies and tools, but also personal experiences and cultural perspectives. The trainers’ team itself was multidisciplinary, allowing us to model inclusive facilitation and ensure every participant felt represented and heard.
Mainly, non-formal education methods were used that were interactive, engaging, and responsive to the participants’ energy. Some of the approaches included:
Practical workshops where participants mapped out their project challenges and co-created solutions in real time.
Gamified networking sessions to break the ice across the three MYA tracks — Voicing Youth Knowledge, Transformative Leaders, and Young Voices — encouraging them to discover common ground and potential collaboration opportunities.
Peer-to-peer learning circles where participants could reflect on their experiences, share lessons, and offer mutual support.
Creative visualization tools such as mind-mapping and journey-mapping exercises to clarify project goals, stakeholders, and next steps.
The training achieved strong and measurable results. Participants left with:
A clearer understanding of how to lead and manage their initiatives, including concrete tools for planning, monitoring, and donor reporting.
Actionable solutions to the challenges they identified during group discussions.
New partnerships and synergies — several participants immediately began exploring joint events and campaigns that connected their projects across borders.
A stronger sense of belonging to a supportive Euro-Mediterranean network, which many described as one of the most valuable outcomes.
Post-training feedback showed high satisfaction rates, with over 90% of participants reporting that they felt more confident and prepared to implement their projects. The follow-up communication and collaboration that continued after the training was another clear indicator of its success.
I served as a full-time trainer, co-facilitator and mentor with responsibility for both the Transformative Leaders track and the cross-track engagement day. Moreover I was supporting and mentoring another project "Challenging Inequalities" in their participation at Al Forum. My work included:
Co-designing and co-facilitated the one-day kickoff workshop for the Transformative Leaders track, where I guided participants through, donor reporting requirements, and problem-solving activities tailored to their specific project challenges.
Facilitating interactive group work and helping participants co-create practical action plans.
Designing and delivering the cross-track day, where I led gamified and highly participatory activities that encouraged dialogue and collaboration between participants from all three MYA tracks.
Supporting overall group dynamics, ensuring equal participation, and fostering an atmosphere of trust and openness.
I highly recommend Engy Abdalla as a professional trainer. She is an authentic person who works with deep commitment to her values, bringing honesty and integrity into everything she does. Engy’s creativity allows her to design engaging and meaningful experiences that inspire others and leave a lasting impact. She is not only skilled but also deeply genuine in the way she connects with people, making her an exceptional trainer and collaborator.