Unlike many young people who spend most of their time sitting in front of a computer screen browsing social network pages and chatting, 21-year-old blogger Heba Sami has decided to play an active role in the process of change. Heba, a lecturer in self-development, is the founder of a social and cultural salon called Awez Atghyar (I Want to Change). The whole idea started four years ago when Heba founded a Facebook group called ‘I Want to Change'. She was then in her first year at college, she was totally focused on her studies. “I chose the name ‘I Want to Change', because young people have an inner desire to change," she explains. During her first year at college, Heba dreamt of being a journalist and this prompted her to do a lot of training courses, helping her to make connections with people in different fields. She then converted the Facebook group into a special blog, where she posts her own writings and topics and also others' writings. Next, she added new service in her blog called ‘Market Yourself', where she asks people to post their curricula vitae, so that she can help them find jobs. “I thought why not move the idea of change and development from the virtual world to the real world, so, a year ago, I launched my salon, ‘I Want to Change'," Heba recalls. She has succeeded in making the salon unique. It is like a big gathering of all kinds of people from different backgrounds with different dreams and opinions, allowing them to share their experiences and express themselves freely. “It is like a huge brainstorming of different ideas, offering young people new chances," explains Heba, who is always delighted to host young people who can affect others' lives positively. At the first salon, held in March 2012 in Al-Azhar Park, Heba hosted young people working in self-development training and other fields, such as electronic journalism. The salon, that lasted a day, also hosted the Friends of Zewail City for Science and Technology. “About 100 people turned up for the event and I started the day by getting everyone to introduce themselves, in order to break the ice and for people to get themselves noticed, so that they might find new chances," she says. Heba believes that it is very easy for young people to talk about their weak points, but more difficult for them to talk about their strong ones. For this reason, one of her salon's most important aims is for people to rediscover themselves, as well as becoming aware of their dreams and how to achieve them. “Exposing youth to successful and positive people makes them feel that their dream is not impossible – it just needs faith and hard work," Heba stresses. Her ‘I Want to Change' salon, also hosts artists such as poets and singers, who help enrich the positive atmosphere. The second time that Heba held her salon was last July in the Saad Zaghloul Museum, where, under the slogan ‘Start with Yourself', she hosted Hussein Wali, a motivational expert. “Because of all the unrest in the country, it was very important to stress the idea that change starts when people stop complaining and decide to be part of the solution," she comments. At the third salon, held last January under the slogan of ‘You and I are Changing', Heba hosted author Ihab Moawad who usually writes books about the relationships between men and women. Heba has held her salon four times over the past year, although she was to hold 12 by this March. She had to cancel many of the events, because of the violence in the streets. Her fourth salon was held last Thursday in Nasr City, and it was about the women's role in the Arab Spring. Her salons have taught her many things about the young Egyptians. “Most of them lack the full confidence and belief that they can achieve their goals, although they have the potential, while others don't know what exactly they want," she explains. Heba's dream in the long run is to establish a huge charity foundation for all people, without any discrimination on the grounds of religion, colour or nationality.
