by Sude Şekerci

Lezhë, Albania (04.04.2025- 10.04.2025)

I know that I have grown and developed through this journey, and the experiences and lessons I’ve learned will stay with me forever.
A youth exchange about gender stereotypes, held from April 4th to April 10th, 2025, in Lezhë, Albania. Each country (Egypt, Lebanon, Greece, Albania, and Turkey) participated with 4 participants and 1 facilitator. Being part of this project as a facilitator was an incredibly enriching and unforgettable experience for me.
Months before, we started having meetings as facilitators from each country and began planning and organizing the preparations. Gender stereotypes are something we see every day everywhere, something we are familiar with in life, and something we may not even be aware of but are still exposed to. To raise awareness of the gender roles and definitions around us, and to explain how they affect our culture and lifestyle both nationally and globally, we organized sessions. We planned the sessions, decided on the topics to discuss, and shared them among ourselves. Feeling like a part of a team and being able to clearly see the impact with my own eyes is so valuable to me and gives me a sense of fulfillment. There are always moments when you’re not sure if you can fully do something, and those moments are overcome thanks to the people who support and give you the opportunity.
As a result, on April 4th, the sessions and activities were completed at the Hotel Liss in Lezhë. I would like to deeply thank the facilitator team: Tony, Christina, Bezoo, Anisa, and also Vasilika and Aferdita for always being there and supporting us.
Actually, I am truly grateful to all the participants for always being there on time and for listening to us with their full attention.
As someone who has previously participated in the WE ARE HER training course and youth exchange, one thing that was very special to me was seeing familiar faces again, and the impact of WE ARE HER is truly incredible. You make international friendships with people from different countries, and it gives you the chance to reunite with them somewhere in the world. The connections I’ve made deeply affect me and shape my perspective. I truly say, WE ARE HER is much more than just a project for me; it has been a turning point that helped me define myself. I believe this project will continue to touch the lives of many people like me.

Sude Şekerci