Podcast Summary

We Are For Good Podcast | Episode 646

Title: Community-Centered Program Design: Lessons from Arab Women United – Zahraa Alrafish
Date: September 17, 2025
Host: Jon McCoy & Becky Endicott
Guest: Zahraa Alrafish, Founder, Arab Women United

Episode Overview

This episode features Zahraa Alrafish, the dynamic 23-year-old founder of Arab Women United, an organization empowering Arab and immigrant women in Metro Detroit and beyond. Hosts Jon and Becky explore community-centered program design, focusing on how Zahraa built a thriving movement by listening, responding, and creating belonging. The conversation highlights Zahraa’s journey, the organization’s evolution, and practical frameworks for designing responsive nonprofit programs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Zahraa’s Roots and the Spark for Arab Women United

• Zahraa’s Detroit upbringing and visits to Iraq informed her nuanced perspective on women's experiences across cultures.
• Identified a need for a cross-generational, multicultural space centering empowerment for Arab women.
  • “I was kind of sick of seeing women push aside their own talents, push aside their own passions, and just give up on themselves... to please others.” – Zahraa (03:18)
• Started with a campus club, which organically grew due to strong community demand.
  • The “community is everything” ethos became a centerpiece.

Timestamp: 03:18–04:54

Arab Women United: Evolution & Mission

• Began as a student club addressing educational gaps and cultural misrepresentations.
• Hosted educational and healing events centered on Arab heritage, domestic violence, and empowerment.
• Officially became a nonprofit in 2023.
• Programs now include mentorship, wellness, leadership, entrepreneurship, internships, and ongoing responsive workshops.
  • “Our mission... is to ensure that women have a safe space to learn, to feel empowered, to get educational opportunities, and access to wellness resources.” – Zahraa (05:24)
• Multi-faceted approach: career training, mental health, nutrition, exercise, and confidence-building.

Timestamp: 05:24–08:17

Changing the Narrative: From Misrepresentation to Truth-Telling

• Actively tackles stereotypes about Arab and Muslim women being oppressed or lacking agency.
  • Invites open, educational dialogue—eliminating stigma and replacing misconceptions with nuanced reality.
  • “We broke that down and started having real and honest and raw conversations... If it was oppression, of course it would be forced onto us. But when we decide for our own selves that this is something we choose... then there is no room for hatred in that.” – Zahraa (09:06)
• Encourages curiosity, open dialogue, and bridges cultural misunderstandings.

Timestamp: 08:40–11:41

Program Design Pillars: Meeting Community Needs

• Key programs:
  • Empower Her Business: Entrepreneurship, digital skills, business education, mentorship.
  • Wellness Series: Mental health, nutrition, exercise, mindfulness; partner therapy options for affordability.
  • She Leads Internship: Skills for young women—resume writing, LinkedIn, communication—for workforce readiness.
• Built flexibility and inclusion (hybrid events, Arabic translations, child-friendly spaces) into every aspect.
  • “Sometimes our members will text us like, ‘Hey, I have to bring my kids with me to this workshop, is that okay?’ And we’re like, bring them with you. We’ll have coloring books... we’ve normalized that.” – Zahraa (14:22)

Timestamp: 14:22–18:07

The Art of Partnerships & Collaboration

• Growth fueled by open, intentional outreach to like-minded groups and institutions (Verizon Digital Ready, local therapy centers).
• Prioritizes shared values, resource exchange, and mutual referrals.
  • “We really just approached it being open, being friendly, and just creating those connections at different community events.” – Zahraa (18:51)
• Demonstrates that large-scale partnerships can happen organically by authentically showing up in the right spaces.

Timestamp: 18:07–20:21

Designing Responsive Programs: The Framework

• Continuous community feedback via surveys and active listening.
• Programs built around:
  • Linguistic and cultural inclusivity
  • Safety and comfort in spaces
  • Ongoing, data-informed adaptation
  • “If you want to create effective programs, you have to meet people where they are at.” – Zahraa (20:55)
• Leadership development is central—empowering others to carry the mission forward.

Timestamp: 20:55–23:11

Scaling & Sustaining Impact

• Over 200 volunteers, expansion to multiple university chapters.
• Decentralizes leadership—trusts and mentors others to carry the organization’s core values.
  • “How can I be an effective leader? By encouraging them and ensuring they have the resources they need to lead.” – Zahraa (23:11)

Timestamp: 23:11–24:16

The Power of Representation: Zahraa’s Inspiration

• Zahraa draws deep inspiration from her mother, Eamon, who lacked such a support system but now feels pride and hope.
  • “I wish I knew that Arab women could do these things.” – Zahraa (24:48)
• Affirms the intergenerational impact and visibility her work is creating.

Timestamp: 24:48–26:01

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On new generation leadership:
  • “They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds... As long as you’re breathing right now, you have the power to change something.” – Zahraa (26:46)
• On shifting culture:
  • “You have flipped the script on every possible way... I’m just so deeply proud of you.” – Becky (27:50)
• On partnerships:
  • “We never had to reach out to [some partners], they just kind of did it naturally because of the way that we centered ourselves in the spaces that spoke to us.” – Zahraa (18:51)
• On youth agency:
  • “Here we have this brilliant Gen Z in our seat... you started by asking and by listening, and now your nonprofit is informing and impacting beyond your community.” – Becky (12:49)

Key Timestamps for Reference

• Zahraa’s story and “little Zahraa”: 03:18–04:54
• Arab Women United’s history and mission: 05:24–08:17
• Misrepresentation and narrative-changing work: 08:40–11:41
• Core program pillars: 14:22–18:07
• Partnerships & collaboration: 18:07–20:21
• Program design frameworks: 20:55–23:11
• Scaling leadership: 23:11–24:16
• Personal impact story about Zahraa’s mother: 24:48–26:01
• Empowering quote (“we are seeds”): 26:46

Ways to Connect

• Website: arabwomenunited.org
• Instagram & LinkedIn: @ArabWomenUnited
• Email: contact@arabwomenunited.org

Key Takeaways

• Responsive, inclusive programming starts with asking, listening, adapting, and centering the community’s voice.
• True representation means letting communities own their narrative and dispelling harmful stereotypes through education and dialogue.
• Scalable impact comes from mentoring new leaders and trusting them to carry forward the mission.
• Building partnerships can be as simple as showing up authentically and fostering mutual exchange.
• Empowerment has a ripple effect—across generations, and far beyond the initial circle.

This episode is an inspiring blueprint for any nonprofit leader seeking to create programs that genuinely meet their community’s needs—by building with, not just for, the people they serve.