The Color Green and the Space to Fly

“Amal changes lives.”

Before joining the fellowship, I had heard this sentence many times. To be honest, I never really understood it. I often wondered how a fellowship could change someone’s life. I applied because I wanted honest feedback, a chance to grow, and an opportunity to challenge myself. Beyond that, I didn’t know what to expect.

Our journey began with GupShup sessions.

One of the very first activities was surprisingly simple. We were asked to find an object of a specific color from somewhere in our homes and bring it to the screen. Mine was green.

Finding something green near ourselves

I still remember looking around my room thinking, “What is going on?”

It wasn’t the formal introduction I had imagined. It felt random, unexpected, and honestly a little confusing. Yet instead of questioning whether I belonged there, I quietly told myself,

“Let’s see where this goes.”

At the time, I thought we were simply playing an icebreaker.

Looking back, I realize we were doing something much more meaningful.

The activity was never really about colors.

It was about turning strangers into people who felt just a little more familiar before ever sharing the same room.

A day later, we met for our first in-person session.

It was still awkward.

No one walked in feeling completely confident, and we certainly weren’t instant friends. But something had already changed. I recognized the facilitators. Their faces and voices were familiar. That small sense of familiarity made the room feel less intimidating than it would have otherwise.

It was a small detail, but it made a big difference.

Making of the Airplane

Those first two weeks taught me something I only understood much later. Before people can grow together, they first need an environment where they feel comfortable enough to participate, ask questions, and make mistakes without feeling judged.

Three Months later, I finally understood why people say Amal changes lives.

Not because one activity changes you.

Not because one session changes you.

But because meaningful change often begins quietly, through moments that seem ordinary at the time. Looking back, I realized I wasn’t searching my room for a green object that day. Without knowing it, I was taking my first step into an environment that would challenge me, encourage me, and help me see growth differently.

When I look at a paper airplane today, I don’t think about where it lands.

Paper Airplane

I think about the moment someone chooses to let it go.

A paper airplane doesn’t know exactly where its journey will lead. It simply needs someone willing to fold it with care and give it the space to fly.

My first two weeks at Amal felt the same.

I joined with questions instead of answers, curiosity instead of certainty, and no idea where the journey would take me.

Looking back now, I realize those first two weeks didn’t change my life overnight.

They simply gave me a reason to keep coming back.

And sometimes, that’s where the biggest journeys begin.