Aya, a 14-year-old girl, spent a month and a half of the summer at the Rene Moawad Center attending her Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) sessions (as part of the MALALA funded Champions @malala project). She tells us about the positive changes the program has brought to her life, going from being a shy girl who rarely participated in the early sessions to someone who is now the first to voice her opinion without hesitation or fear. Aya describes how self-confidence sessions enabled her to love herself. “After learning about my strengths, I became better able to comprehend my emotions and express them in healthy ways”. She said. “I also developed a network of friends with whom I maintain contact with even after the center's sessions have ended. It feels going to have friends – I’ve never had this, and I’ve never felt so empowered” Aya also discusses how the trainings implemented by RMF and funded by Malala fund have changed how she interacts with those around her. As a result, she now uses conflict resolution strategies at home with her siblings and is more knowledgeable about all aspects of self-defense. #internationaldayofthegirlchild #DayoftheGirl #BrighterFutureForGirls