In Abu Dhabi, the Young Leaders – who all use the power of football to positively impact young people in their communities – will receive additional training in community football and leadership as well as deliver football sessions to local youth at City Football Schools.
They will also experience and enjoy Abu Dhabi and much of what it has to offer as a leading cultural destination.
A highlight of the trip will be the opportunity to visit Etihad Airways HQ in Abu Dhabi for an interactive workshop on leadership inspired by the airline’s ‘Grow with Etihad – Leadership Excellence Programme’, as well as the chance to experience what flying an Etihad aircraft is like in the airline’s flight simulators.
Speaking about the upcoming opportunity, Zahrah, one of the Young Leaders and a coach with City in the Community (CITC) said: “I’m really excited about the opportunity to fly to Abu Dhabi for this leadership experience.
“As a community coach in Manchester, I can’t wait to share this experience with fellow Young Leaders from Mexico and Malaysia and develop as a leader.”
In Mexico City, Brenda Paola leads a Cityzens Giving project with local charity partner love.fútbol: “For me, the trip is an experience that will help me – among other things – to overcome everything that has happened during the pandemic.
“It is an opportunity to discover new horizons, new cultures and new people.”
Mindy, from Cityzens Giving Kuala Lumpur charity partner Dignity for Children, added: “I am grateful for this opportunity, and many other opportunities that the Young Leaders programme has given me that have helped me grow as a leader.
“I am looking forward to learning from and interacting with other Young Leaders from around the world in Abu Dhabi.”
These talented Young Leaders were selected to take part after participating in a community football leadership challenge open to Cityzens Giving’s global project network, comprising more than 1,000 young leaders in more than 25 cities.
An independent judging panel chose these three projects for their submissions on using football to overcome cultural barriers and promote knowledge exchange between communities.
Tom Pitchon, City Football Group’s global foundation Director said: “After the challenging years of the pandemic, we are delighted to be able to offer Young Leaders from three different continents an incredible opportunity to visit Abu Dhabi for this leadership experience with Etihad Airways.
“We hope that it will inspire them to continue using football to make a positive impact in their communities, to learn from each other and continue developing into the leaders of tomorrow.”
Andrew Stotter-Brooks, Vice President Learning and Development, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “It’s an honour to welcome these young leaders from three different continents to enjoy Abu Dhabi and participate in this Cityzens Giving Youth Leadership Experience.
“Through the power of football, they play a hugely valuable role in their home communities and I’m looking forward to hosting them for a lively workshop to develop their leadership skills.”
During their visit to the UAE, the Young Leaders will also visit EXPO2020 Dubai, and explore many of the most popular destinations in Abu Dhabi, including a visit to Emirates Palace.
Keep an eye out on Manchester City and Etihad channels in the coming days to see what our Young Leaders get up to in Abu Dhabi.
