Growing Up Against the Odds
Abdel Hadi grew up in Al-Mankoubin, Tripoli, one of Lebanon’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. His childhood was full of love, but also marked by hardship—especially during the 2006 war. Opportunities were limited. Safe spaces were rare. And as a sensitive, quiet child, he often struggled to express himself.
“I didn’t know how to talk about what I felt,” he recalls. “I didn’t have someone to guide me. Maybe that’s why I chose training later—so I can give kids what I wished I had.”
That desire—to make a difference—became the foundation of the coach he is today.
A New Chapter: Sports for Peace
Abdel Hadi’s journey took a transformative turn in 2017, when he joined Al Midan Association as part of the GIZ Sports for Development project. His dedication quickly stood out, and he was nominated to join forumZFD’s “Sports for Peace” project—a partnership between Al Midan and forumZFD designed to help children develop emotional resilience, communication, and peaceful conflict resolution through physical activities.
Sports for Peace believes in a simple but powerful idea:
Sports can be a bridge—helping children express themselves, manage emotions, and build relationships based on respect and empathy.
For Abdel Hadi, this approach changed everything.
“I learned how to express myself without hurting others,” he says. “And I learned how to help kids do the same. Sports is not just movement—it’s a language that brings people together.”
He began to see immediate change. Children arrived early to sessions, remembered techniques, and began applying them at school and at home. They came back with stories:
“Coach, we used what you taught us with our friends… we don’t shout anymore.”
For Abdel Hadi, this was the reward that mattered.
The Turning Point: “Eye Not for an Eye”
Later, during a training delivered by STEPS Association, Abdel Hadi encountered the “Eye Not for an Eye” manual—a guide built around six reflective steps that help young people understand themselves, manage conflict, and practice nonviolence.
This training shifted something inside him.
“Before, I used to react quickly. I would judge a situation without understanding the full picture. But now… I pause. I ask: What’s really happening? What does this person need?”
He brought these lessons directly to the children he trains. And they followed.
They learned to communicate instead of shout.
To observe instead of judge.
To pause instead of react.
And little by little, the atmosphere changed—not just in the sessions, but in their lives, their homes, and their friendships.
Becoming a Role Model
At first, the kids didn’t know what to make of the exercises. They wondered, “Why is coach talking about feelings?”
But with every activity and every game, they began to look forward to the sessions.
They mirrored the respect he showed them. They adopted the calm he brought into the space. They learned by watching him—not because he asked, but because he lived the values he taught.
“When they saw the change in me,” he says, “they started changing too.”
In communities where conflict, stress, and instability are part of daily life, these moments of peace are more than skills—they are lifelines.
A Ripple Effect of Hope
Today, Abdel Hadi speaks about his journey with gratitude and hope. The transformation he experienced—as a coach and as a person—radiates to the children he works with, their families, and the wider community.
He believes every young coach should go through the same training.
“It’s not easy to change yourself,” he says. “But when you do, you understand yourself better… and you understand others better too.”
He now dreams bigger, aims higher, and sees a future fueled by confidence and purpose.
Why Stories Like His Matter
Abdel Hadi’s story is more than personal success—it’s a reminder of why initiatives like Sports for Peace, created by forumZFD and Al Midan, matter.
Because when a young man from a marginalized neighborhood gains the tools to navigate conflict, communicate with empathy, and lead with humility…
he becomes a role model.
He becomes a source of stability.
He becomes a seed of peace in his own community.
And through him, dozens of children learn that there is another way—one built not on fear or anger, but on understanding, respect, and hope.
This is the real impact of peacebuilding.
One coach.
One child.
One community at a time.