From Poems to Presentations: Building Confident Speakers
From Poems to Presentations: Building Confident Speakers
At The Hands Up Project, our mission has always been about empowering Palestinian children to share their stories with the world and amplifying their voices through a variety of creative opportunities. One of our newest initiatives takes this mission even further: the Public Speaking Course.
A huge part of our work involves our learners standing in front of a Zoom camera—whether for a link-up with a school in another country, reading aloud a poem they've written, or performing a play for remote theatre. And since English isn't their first language, we thought it would be valuable to help them not only improve their language skills but also build the confidence and clarity needed to communicate effectively.
The First Step
The very first class of the Public Speaking Course took place at our Cairo educational space in February. I had the privilege of introducing some core skills for delivering a strong presentation or speech, including:
Voice volume and projection
Using stress and intonation effectively
Meaningful pausing for impact
Students practiced immediately in real-time, reading poems from their own collection, Cairo Writes Gaza's Heart, and applying everything they had just learned. They also practiced the "look down, look up, and speak" strategy that we introduced in a previous blog—a simple but powerful technique to help speakers connect with their audience while staying on track. And, the energy in the room was electric.
One Class Is Never Enough
Of course, one class could never be enough—which is why our brilliant volunteer teachers stepped in to continue the journey. Now, each student is paired with a dedicated teacher, working together to practice effective and engaging public speaking.
Here's what Marah, one of our Cairo students matched with the wonderful teacher Maryam, shared about her first weeks of practice:
"Standing in front of an audience for the first time was one of the most challenging moments of my life. Two months ago, I used to feel extremely nervous whenever I had to speak in front of people. I would forget what I wanted to say, and I felt very anxious.
Then, Hands Up Project gave us a chance with the amazing teacher Safa. She came to our school and gave us a class about public speaking, which I found very interesting. After that, I started working with my beautiful teacher Maryam, who helped me improve my skills step by step.
That's when things truly began to change. With Maryam's guidance, I didn't just practice speaking—I started understanding how to speak properly. She taught me how to organize my ideas clearly, how to pause at the right moment, how to control my tone of voice, and how to use body language to support my message instead of hiding behind my fear.
One of the tricks Maryam taught me was how to start my presentation in an engaging way. For example, when I came to share my story, I began with the question: 'Have you ever felt that life suddenly changed everything around you?' Then I introduced myself. I felt that this was a great way to capture the audience's attention from the very first moment and made me feel confident while speaking. Instead of introducing myself in a traditional way, this method kept the audience interested and gave me more energy throughout my presentation.
Of course, all of this takes a lot of practice, and I know I need to keep standing in front of audiences and speaking as much as possible. I am still at the beginning of this journey, and there is so much more for me to learn. Every time I practice, I discover something new about myself—how to control my voice better, how to use my body language more effectively, how to connect with the audience, and how to stay confident even when I feel nervous.
Even though I am just starting, the difference is already clear. I can feel myself becoming stronger, more confident, and more capable of expressing my ideas. It motivates me to continue, to experiment with new ways of presenting, and to challenge myself to improve every time I speak. I'm excited for what's ahead and grateful for the chance to keep growing with Maryam's guidance."
From the Teacher's Perspective
Maryam, the incredible volunteer guiding Marah, also shared a short reflection on their journey together:
"Marah is a bright and dedicated student. Although we adopted a somewhat unusual approach for this speaking course, she embraced it enthusiastically from the very beginning. From day one, she demonstrated genuine curiosity, with a spark in her eyes whenever something new was introduced. Marah is a patient and thoughtful learner who consistently strives to grow and improve. She has been diligent throughout the course, always investing time and effort into her work. Her keen interest in learning and her commitment to developing her skills make her a pleasure to teach. I wish Marah all the best in her future endeavors."
Watch Marah in Action
Here's a video of Marah reading a poem, applying some of the skills Maryam has taught her. Watch her confidence shine through:
🔗 https://youtube.com/shorts/ZHFaWyJphr0?feature=share
Just the Beginning
We're still at the beginning of this meaningful journey, and with the support of our dedicated team of volunteers, I'm confident it will be an unforgettable experience for our learners. Stay tuned for more updates from our Public Speaking Project.
And now, over to you: What are your top tips for delivering an effective presentation or speech? We'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below!
Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating, from me and the entire Hands Up family. 🌙✨
With love,
Safa Ahmed, HUP Volunteer Coordinator