Alaa F. Mufleh was selected to participate as a Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) student in 2004. As one of 15 students from Jordan, Alaa spent a year living in Schaumburg, Illinois. Upon her return from the program, Alaa fully embraced the YES values of community service and leadership.

One key social trend Alaa observed was the increasingly growing gap between elderly citizens and youth in Jordanian community. In order to meaningfully bridge the gap between the two generations, Alaa helped launched a non-profit organized named, Abshir. Supporting the initiative, were a team of 12 U.S Department of State Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) alumni and 14 students.

Abshir is an initiative that provides mentoring programs for elderly citizens and youth all over the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In collaborations with local parties Abshir fosters a commitment to Jordanian elderly citizens and youth that promotes pro-social friendships and a sense of hope in the future. The organization strongly believes that through personal relationships, a sense of individual responsibility be found - giving youth the commitment to follow onto path to adulthood with a sense of accomplishment.

In addition to being the Executive Director of Abshir, Alaa is President of the YES Alumni Jordan Chapter, and is currently a rising senior majoring in Business Administration at Al Balqa'a Applied University. For more information about Abshir, please contact [email protected].