87% of Parents Report Their Children Are Transformed. Here's What Changed:

We just completed our biennial parent survey – 100 families in Kurdistan whose teenagers went through our programs. The results reveal something powerful: the gap between what students say about themselves and what parents observe at home.

Our Columbia University-designed evaluation uses the USAID Positive Youth Development framework – students self-report their confidence, hope, and skills. That's valuable. But parents? Parents report behavior. They see what actually changes when their teenager comes home.

And the behavior changes are extraordinary.

The Numbers Tell a Story of Hope

87% said their children can now communicate their ideas better – with nearly half reporting "major" positive change. These are teenagers who were often silent, withdrawn, carrying trauma. Now they're speaking up, sharing opinions, leading discussions.

83% report their children are more hopeful about the future. In a refugee camp. During a global refugee crisis. Their children are more hopeful.

79% see improved technology skills – but here's what matters: parents report their kids now use phones "for useful things" instead of endless scrolling.

64% of our students are girls – remarkable in conservative refugee communities where girls' education often ends early.

One father captured it perfectly:

"Before my son participated in your course, I did not have confidence that he would be able to solve his problems. After completing two courses with you, I am confident that my son will be able to face all the challenges of life."

The Word-of-Mouth Phenomenon Continues

Every two years when we survey parents, the same pattern emerges: Over 85% discovered Hello Future through word-of-mouth (51.5% friends/family, 34.3% school). No advertising. No recruitment campaigns. Just parents telling other parents: "You need to get your child into this program."

This organic growth tells funders something crucial: program quality that compels families to become advocates. One mother was so impressed by her son Mustafa's transformation that she immediately enrolled her other children. When parents become your strongest recruiters, you know the impact is real.

The Ripple Effect Through Families

What happens when a teenager learns something life-changing? They teach everyone around them.

"She taught her sisters how to create their own email and how to use Google Slide."

"Inside the house, I notice that he teaches his brothers personal skills, cares for them, and takes responsibility for them."

Our students aren't just learning – they're becoming teachers in their own homes. Eight out of ten share what they learn with 4-8 peers. One program touching one student transforms entire family systems.

What Parents See That We Sometimes Miss

Parents live with these kids 24/7. They see changes we only glimpse in classrooms. Here's what they're noticing:

"Before the course, he did not care about his personal hygiene and was an indifferent and irresponsible person, but after participating, I noticed major changes in my child's personality, especially in his personal hygiene, and he became more responsible."

"In daily life I see her thinking a lot about how to spend money correctly."

"I notice the change in his speech and dealings."

These aren't just skills. This is growing up. This is healing. This is becoming.

When 87% of parents report transformation, when word-of-mouth drives 85% of our growth, when refugee parents trust us with their daughters' futures – we know we've built something that works.

But we can only reach as many youth as our resources allow. Every semester, we have waiting lists. Every graduation, we see siblings hoping for their turn. Every parent survey reminds us how many more families need this transformation.

One Last Story

A mother told us something that captures everything:

"These courses improved his personality and made him more self-reliant because we were not focusing on him due to our preoccupation with our daily work."

She's not making excuses. She's stating reality. Refugee parents are surviving – working multiple jobs, navigating bureaucracy, managing trauma, trying to provide. Sometimes kids get lost in that survival.

We're here to catch them. To see them. To remind them – and their parents – that the future isn't just something to survive. It's something to build.