Fareah Al-Saqqaf has the bearing of someone who believes in changing mindsets for the greater good. It is this sense of purpose that led to the creation of the Lothan Youth Achievement Center (LoYAC), Kuwait’s pioneering non-profit organization devoted to empowerment and positive development of youth.

“Soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks, followed by the declaration of war by the US, we saw similar aggressive attitudes in the Middle East as well. As civilians of this region, we had a duty to respond to these developments with something positive,” she said.
The fact that almost all the perpetrators of the four coordinated terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, DC were below 30 years of age came as a rude awakening for Al-Saqqaf.

Together with seven of her friends, she decided to start an organization to provide the youth of Kuwait with “intelligent choices and help them discover their self-worth.”
Recalling those turbulent times, Al-Saqqaf says: “Back in 2002, there was a dearth of such activities, especially in Kuwait, and our first project was called the Smart Options program.

“It offered three opportunities for the youth: summer internships, voluntary activities or a weekend devoted to studying a culture or participating in a sport.

“As time went on, our scope expanded and today we have 15 programs with sub-entities such as the AC Milan football school and LAPA, LoYAC’s performing arts arm.”
Aiming to offer a holistic solution to the problem of disengaged young people in Kuwait, Al-Saqqaf’s team set out to forge new partnerships and draw up plans for purposeful activities.

“The initial response was quite good. We were encouraged a lot by the parents and the youth as well as the local media,” Al-Saqqaf said.

“I suppose it partly stemmed from the fact that LoYAC’s philosophy was to work in tandem with different community sectors. Be it finding internships for young people in private organizations or voluntary roles in civil society groups such as the Red Crescent, we saw ourselves as facilitators of a wholesome community ecosystem.

“The government recognized the work we were doing and supported us by offering space for our academy.”

Soon, LoYAC spread its wings to open chapters in Jordan, Lebanon and even Yemen, something Al-Saqqaf narrates with evident pride.

“We started in Yemen in 2015, just a few months before the war erupted, and we are still going strong there. The number of beneficiaries of our program in Yemen alone could be in the range of 12,000.

“We have educated 2,000 women through our chapter in Yemen over the past two years. It is managed by the local community, with financial and advisory support from us.”
Al-Saqqaf believes that a mindset change is essential, not just for the Arab world but humanity as a whole.

She considers the creation of LAPA an act of defiance against a strain of extremist thinking that was slowly creeping into vulnerable communities.

“So we took up the challenge of reviving performing arts in the region through such forms as theater, dance and music,” she said. “Good progress has been made in this area.”
Al-Saqqaf often faces criticism for LoYAC’s socially liberal philosophy and global values, but it is something she takes in her stride.

“We do get a lot of support from the community as well as the government, which can upset some people,” she said. “But I am used to it. I just try to find solutions to the challenges we face.”

Written by Jethu Abraham
Image: Arab News
Publication date: June 01, 2019

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