Maram (20) is a Palestinian girl who has just finished studying hotel and hospitality management at the Al-Rawdah Technical Community College. In her group of 14 students, she was the only female.

Originally from Sebastiya, a beautiful Palestinian city in the northwest of Nablus, she recognizes the potentially important role of tourism in the economy of her hometown. The city is a piece of art with a lot of Roman ruins and traditional guesthouses. As a child she saw many foreigners visiting the place, and therefore she was determined to study hotel management.

"In the beginning I was a bit afraid, because I was the only girl in class, but everyone was very friendly and respectful.”

The staff encouraged her to pursue her dreams and to enhance her skills by enrolling in the Work Based Learning scheme supported by the Belgian Development Cooperation.

Thanks to this scheme, she was able to have her practical training inside a hotel rather than inside the training institute. At the Al-Yasmeen hotel, where she did her practical internship, they were very satisfied with her work, and therefore, she was offered a job as receptionist even before graduating. Mabroek!