From Lived Experience to Leadership: Participation in a Fellowship Program in South Africa
Teach for Palestine, represented by Alumni Network Coordinator Mira Al-Qadi, participated from 15–17 September 2026 in the “Leading from Lived Experience” Fellowship Program, held in South Africa. The three-day fellowship focused on learning, reflection, knowledge exchange, and exploring key chapters of South Africa’s history, its pathways toward liberation, and community building.
The program explored the relationship between lived experiences and leadership, and how personal stories and experiences can become sources of strength and knowledge, contributing to the development of leadership practices that support education, justice, inclusion, and positive change within communities.
The fellowship included interactive and dialogue-based sessions on South Africa’s history and experiences of resistance and liberation, as well as field visits to a number of historical sites and museums. These visits provided participants with an opportunity to engage with stories and testimonies that have shaped the country’s journey toward change.
The fellowship also created a space for learning from participants with diverse backgrounds and experiences, and for discussing ways to share and apply the knowledge gained within their respective communities. It highlighted the belief that change can begin with simple actions—through dialogue, sharing knowledge, listening to others, and creating spaces that are more respectful and inclusive.
This participation reflects Teach for Palestine’s commitment to education as a tool for building more just and inclusive communities, and its belief that leadership begins with understanding human experiences and transforming learning into practices and actions that create meaningful and sustainable impact.
