After all this time

Remembering the past, yet not thinking about it. Living the night, while planning tomorrow. She regrets none and still is the same, knowing that beneath all the ruins and tears shed, she'll find him again. Shes still loving him after all this time. And behind her tired eyes she sees the boy like an angel. She's still loving him... after all this time...

~ Miusaam Rasheed

Everyone's Hero

You spoke about love and care,
You've talked about the rights of women,
You've fought well for the society,
You've gained respect all around,
You were everyone's hero;

You spoke about love,
You spoke about care,
You spoke beautiful words about humanity,
You were proud of how the world saluted you,
You were truly their hero;

You spoke about love and care,
Went home to a loving wife,
You thrashed her,
Till she was blue alright,
She kept silent, for you were truly her hero;

You spoke about love and care,
Once to this this person you bruised today,
A woman raped from her dignity,
Ever so gentle, ever so loving,
For this one man who was still her hero;

You spoke about love and care,
Infront of a little girl who called you her parent,
Yet you crushed in your hands,
The life of this little girl, to whom nobody listened,
For yes you were everyone's hero;

He spoke about love and care,
He destroyed a girls life,
Her dreams torn at the seams,
Scarred oh so deeply,
Cause of this one man who was once her hero;

He speaks about love,
He speaks about care,
He cries for humanity,
And though there is nothing humane about him,
He was truly everyone's hero;

Dear world, he spoke about love,
He spoke about care,
And though he has never loved,
Or ever truly cared,
Dear world, how did he become your hero.

~ Aminath Shaayan Hussain

From them movies and sounds

I've seen them movies,
The sounds with feelings,
The vertigo pushing past my eyes;

Filling my eyes,
Pain of some kind,
True, it feels its always been mine;

What word or phrase,
Like a trip through a maze,
Could bring the meaning that we seek;

Have you seen them movies?
Heard sounds with feelings?
Or smelt the stench, putrid reek?

Injustice, that's one,
A war, not won,
Are we fighting for a reason we know?

It aches my heart,
Even before it starts,
To see the bitter hate that we saw;

Of this world I speak,
With a light that's bleak,
The one we walk on today;

Have you seen them movies?
Heard sounds with feelings?
Or been on streets with no names?

Yes, pain we have,
Spread far across thy land,
Yet we watch with no care or heed,

The powers in us,
With bonds of trust,
To be what we know we need;

We are the world,
So hear this call,
Stop the hate we don't deserve;

Lets take a stand,
With hand in hand,
To go there, our future to preserve.


~ Mohamed Axam Maumoon

Sifakurevunu Hayaath

Kuraane vaki kameh nei

Dhaane vaki manzilleh nei

Ehee ah edheyne faraatheh nei

Ekaniverikann filaane gotheh nei

Beynun vefaavaa ethah kameh

Beynun viyas vaakah nethey

Beynun kameh kuraaney gotheh

Beynun rangalhu hoadhan mageh

Eves kameh rangalhah nuvaa

Eves naseebeh libifaa nuvaa

Nikamehchekey heevey mithaa

Dhuniye mathee lahvaafaavaa

Hayaathuge dhathuru mi fehnanee

Banakamaa andhiree therey

Mee alhuganduge hayaath

Mihaathanah sifa kurevunu gothey

~Aishath Mohamed (Jina)

YLP members take initiative!

Ahmed Fazad at a YLP Fishing trip!

Some of our fellow YLP members are already emerging as budding leaders in their respective communities!

Our very own Ahmed Fazad [right] has taken initiative of talking and motivating 4-5 youth on his island, Adh. Dhangethi,  to take part in community activities! They held a meeting today with the Island Council to see how they can contribute, and they have started with helping the Island Council to maintain the roads and planting of trees.

Furthermore, our dear Mohamed Hisham [below] took part in a fundraising event at his island!. All of the proceedings will go directly into providing the necessary facilities for the PreSchool.

Mohamed Hisham at Thinakun Ekeh Campaign

Way to go, Fazad and Hisham! We are very proud of you both! This is the result we expect from the Youth Leadership Program, and we're glad such success stories reach our ears. We hope more students will follow in their footsteps and their example!

We hope that Fazad and Hisham will report back to us as much as they can, and give us even better news in the future!

Impressive tidbits from Commonwealth Essays!

We were deeply impressed with the Commonwealth entry essays by the participants of YLP, that we decided we should quote and feature some of it on this blog.

"Around five years back, if someone told me that a man born to a Kenyan father and raised in Indonesia would become the president of the most powerful country in the world, I would have laughed at that person. But today, I salute the man, Mr. Barack Obama for defying stereotypes and being an inspiration to all mankind.

"Of course, there are good leaders who were born into power, but the way I think about leadership has gone through a paradigm shift. I have learnt to broaden my mindset and believe that any body can be made a leader no matter where you came from or how much money your parents have."

~Shahaada Ahmed

"A good leader might be the one who leads the pack to the promised land, like what Michael Jackson did to the music industry, Nelson Mandela did to the South African people or Mother Teresa did to the Humanitarian causes. But it is important to remember, that they not only led, they followed"

"I am only one, but I am still one. I can't do everything, but still I can do something. And just because I can't do everything, I won't quit what I can do"

~Ibrahim Nawaf

"Whether its a man or a woman, old or young, rich or poor, a good leader has to be someone with a strong belief system"

"To be a good leader, all you need is a mind which is willing to learn, a soul that is ready to give, and a heart full of love. All you need is motivation and the drive to do good."

~Aishath Shifana Ahmed

"Times have changed, but I still believe that the lessons for our future lie in our past. I also believe, that to create change, there need not only be a single leader, but everyone could take that place."

"Determination also proves to be a strong defining point when one is born without all the means to fullfill one's life"

~Mohamed Axam Maumoon

"Whatever I become or wherever I go, my belief, my aim, my determination is to Live, Love, Learn and to Leave a Legacy for I will be remembered even when I am not around."

~Aishath Loona Moosa

"Leaders are everywhere... it could be in you, or even me"

"...we're too ignorant to listen, and discover the leader in each one of us"

~Mohamed Hisham

YLP attends Voices - Me Through My Lens!

Members of the Youth Leadership Program 2011 attended the exhibition on December 19th. Not only did we attend, but we also contributed to the exhibition by buying two of the pictures, in the name of all the YLP members!

The exhibition took place at the National Art Gallery, from the 19th to 20th December 2011. The pictures were taken by the kids at the orphanage, by themselves.

We hope our contribution, however small, will help the children in need at the orphanage, and help the orphanage build a loving, caring, fun-filled environment for the kids, like they all deserve. Because, every child has the right to learn, love, and grow healthy, happily.

Nethybaa Mivareh by Malaka Ali

Hama viyasves visnaa numelaa enme faharaku

Hama nubalaa ulhevey gothakah komme dhuvahaku

Ulhey thanugaa alhaa numelaa kuraahaa kamaku

Ulheyney hithah naaraa mithanugai ehen bayaku

Heekurey thimaaee mifadha nei ehen meehaku

Heeveyey nuves vaaney mithanugai hindhu kolhaku

Welcome!

This blog has been created by the Institute of Governance & Development and Democracy House to help all the participants who have completed or/are currently enrolled into the Youth Leadership Program be updated and keep in touch with each other, as well as the Institute.

We will be featuring some of your work, including essays, poems, pictures, videos and other art that are relevant. So feel free to submit anything to have to the following email;

youthleadership.mv@gmail.com

Stay tuned to any news or updates! Keep in touch!