19-year-old Karim has many struggles, but he finds himself in every story that he tells. He loves to share his stories with other people and wants to one day share them with the world.
Taking a course on journalism at the Vision Hope youth center in Tunis gave him an outlet for processing some difficult memories. However, because of negative coping strategies that he had developed, if he does not have the opportunity to type out his stories or share them with others, he often burns them.
Staff members at the youth center provided a computer and a safe place for Karim to type out the stories that he writes. They also helped him create a Facebook page, through which he shares them with his fans. Most importantly, the staff opened his eyes to see that his ability to tell stories is a gift that was placed within him, and he must nurture that gift so that he can share it with the world.
“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.”
Read more stories from our youth in Tunisia.
“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
“The most important thing in life is that you do not give up hope and keep faith in your dreams.” — Aziz