Yousef grew up in an area of Tunis where unemployment rates are high and youth often fall prey to radical ideologies. He struggled to make friends and, though intelligent, at 13 he dropped out of school because of violence by his classmates. He took a course in cooking, but the only job he found was washing dishes. Things changed when he became involved in Vision Hope’s youth center and rediscovered his passion for dance.
Staff at the youth center helped Yousef find work as an entertainer at events like birthday parties, so he is now able to earn a living doing what he loves. He is also gaining the self-confidence that he needs to continue pursuing his passion.
“I always loved dancing as a kid. Dancing is like flying into another world. I start dreaming. It’s magic! It became my passion.” — Yousef
Read more stories from our youth in Tunisia.
“I especially learned one thing in the youth center: Everyone carries something within him. Everyone has a passion hidden inside, and your task is to find it. After you find it you have to work on it, and you can never lose faith and hope in it.” — Karim
“The most important thing in life is that you do not give up hope and keep faith in your dreams.” — Aziz