Feriel Arbi is someone I got to know and meet in 2017 thanks to a great opportunity we were both part of. She has been working her way to success since last summer and today I am as proud as she is for the launch of her new initiative. Feriel is working on women and girl empowerment as she has just launched her Girl Up club at the American Corner Tunis on Saturday, January 20th 2018. Four of the blog writers have attended the event and this is article has all the details.
Who is she?
Now let me
introduce her in a proper way. Feriel Arbi obtained her baccalaureate degree in Experiemental Sciences in 2014 and she pursued
her studies in a private college (Supsat santé Tunis ). Her major was Anesthesiology . She also has a certificate
in first aid (BLS provider & BLS instructor) . She is a member of TAD(Tunisian Ambassador for Development ) and a member in ATTAR (Association
Tunisienne des Techniciens en Anesthésie -Réanimation) and she is an ex- member of Interact Club Inner City. In 2013 , she was selected for the women2women America international
leadership program. She is an instagram
empowerment blogger and a feminist. In the past few years she participated in
different workshops and conferences about youth and leadership like “Youth Speak
Forum Tunisia” and “Youth Under Construction Workshop” . She also had a
training in Environmental Activism and Human Rights.
What is Girl
Up?
With more
than 1,900 clubs registered in 48 U.S. states and territories and 98 countries,
Girl Up Clubs are champions for change. As our most active supporters, Girl Up
Clubs have a huge impact on girls around the world, empowering females to rise
up. Through education, advocacy and service, Girl Up Club members develop the
leadership skills necessary to make a positive difference in the lives of girls
everywhere.
What
Happened on January 20th?
During her presentation of the club of which she is a founder and president, Feriel talked about the goals that she set and decided to pursue. Among these goals, there are:
- Enhance girls' self-esteem, self-confidence and body image.
- Educate girls about their health and sexuality.
- Support girls in their personal growth and proffessional carreer.
- Debate about girls struggles and issues in Tunisia and the world and spread awareness about Feminism and Girls' rights.
-Act: Interact with other girls and build connections.
Co-create projects related to community service.
Who was there?
The event was attended by nearly 40 girls and boys who supported the cause of women and girls empowerment in Tunisia and in the world.
This girl from
Mauritania was also there and shared her interest in joining the club.
The vice
president of Girl Up Tunisia, Sarra Fki,
was also there to show support to the newly founded club and its activities. She gave a speech that emphasized how happy she was for the Girl Up Tunisia community to be expanding, she introduced the foundation, its goals, some of its activities and she wished good luck to our new club.
What's next?
The guests
were then invited to read the Girlafesto out loud; it had
such a powerful female spirit as it contained such words and expressions like “I
am a girl. Bright, able, outspoken, soft-spoken, serious, spirited, adventurous,
curious, and strong.” And “She is a girl. And together, we will rise up.
Because while we are strong, together we are stronger. And together, our voices
will change our world. You see a girl. We see the future.” Which seemed to be
shared between all the girls who attended the introduction. The girls then
stood up one by one and introduced themselves. They came from all different age
categories, different areas of the country.
Each girl had her own story to tell. In the way they dressed, talked, laughed, yelled and clapped, it was obvious that those girls were there for the same purpose; to let their voices be heard. here are some of those who got stuck in my mind:
1- The way the first one was trying to overcome her shyness and just talk.
2- The way the second one smiled.
3- The way the third one talked about her mother as her hero.
How did I feel?
The
feelings I had during the event were pride and happiness. I have been there
since summer to watch Feriel become the leader she is now. I felt so proud of
her as she was giving her speech and giving the audience insight into what made
her start the club. She has always believed that girls and women, especially
Tunisian, are endowed with a certain power. I also felt happy when I saw all
the girls coming into the space of the American Corner with obvious interest in
the project.
It was not only I who was there. These are the other members of our blog who attended the event.
Dhouha Tlig- Team Writer and Web Developer
Ameni Charradi- Team Writer and Web Developer
Inès Mokdadi- Team Writer and Editor
On a final note, Feriel chose to quote a supporter of Girl Up, Michelle Obama who says that "There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish."
Feriel's happiness was more than it could be put into words but she said that all that she wants to do is dedicate this moment, this accomplishment to her mentor Aya Chebbi: "It is thanks to her that I came to achieve this today and this is the exact kind of moment I want to share with her."
-Designing your life+ Setting goals+ action plan Workshop.
-Self confidence / self care (mind +body +soul) / Self esteem and body image workshop.
-"She successful" + Time management workshop.
-Creating a blog + social media managing tips
- Girls night out
event: Dance Parties.
- Open Mic and Talent Shows.
Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feriel_arb/
Her email: ferielarbi26@gmail.com
The Girl Up AC's page: https://www.facebook.com/girlupAC/
Synda Arfaoui
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