LocationsBy: Rasha Alsabbagh, Communications Associate
Keeping hope alive through skills: Ebtihal's story from Gaza
July 12, 2026
Standing outside her war-damaged home in Gaza, Ebtihal, 24, remains determined to keep learning and building her future. Through the Future Skills Academy, she completed three professional learning pathways and secured her first formal role as a Project Manager despite the ongoing conflict.
"When the war began, everything stopped," says Ebtihal Dalloul, a 24-year-old Technical Project Manager from Gaza, State of Palestine. "I lost my equipment, my routine, and for a while, my sense of direction. At a time when continuing felt almost impossible, the learning opportunity at the Academy gave me something I deeply needed, a reason to keep going."
For Ebtihal, learning became far more than a pathway to employment. It became a way to hold on to hope, purpose and the professional identity she had worked so hard to build.
After graduating in Information Technology with a specialization in Multimedia and Web Development in 2023, Ebtihal saw her future put on hold as war engulfed Gaza. Her home was damaged in the shelling, destroying her laptop and disrupting nearly every aspect of daily life.
"I believe the secret to success is consistency and commitment," she says. "The programme gave me the structure to hold on to that belief when circumstances made it incredibly difficult. It helped me keep my professional identity alive when everything around me was falling apart."
Her determination has inspired others as well. Friends and colleagues within her network have since enrolled in the Future Skills Academy, creating a ripple effect of learning and opportunity that extends beyond her own journey.
Ebtihal's story reflects the spirit of World Youth Skills Day, observed annually on 15 July, which recognizes the critical role of equipping young people with the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
As digital technologies, artificial intelligence and shifting economic realities reshape the future of work, Ebtihal's experience demonstrates that skills can offer something equally valuable, stability in uncertainty, dignity in adversity and hope when the future feels uncertain.
For Ebtihal, learning was never just about earning certificates. It was about reclaiming her future and proving that even in the darkest circumstances, growth remains possible.
Since its launch, the Future Skills Academy has reached nearly 71,000 learners, who have completed more than 57,500 learning programmes and accumulated over 458,500 learning hours. A flagship initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), the Academy supports citizens, including young people, across the Arab States with the skills they need to build more resilient, inclusive and sustainable futures
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