Growing up in a community marked by instability and resilience, Maurine Kouba of the East Jerusalem YMCA discovered the power of safe spaces and cultural expression. For her, the YMCA was more than a building; it was a place of belonging that would inspire a lifelong passion for youth empowerment.
Finding Purpose Through the YMCA
As a young girl, the YMCA had already been a central part of the Kouba family for two generations. As a young girl, Maurine remembers attending numerous children’s events, experiences at her local YMCA.
She would later join as a youth volunteer, where she found purpose and direction for her studies, career, and life. With her passion for community leadership, it was only natural that Maurine would join the YMCA’s Change Agents programme, which introduced her to a global Movement that extended her perspective far beyond her local community.
“Along the years in my involvement with my YMCA and the World YMCA, I have fed my passion for community and youth work with experience, exposure, inspiration, and commitment,’ Maurine recounts. Several years ago, she took on the role of General Assembly member at the East Jerusalem YMCA, quickly advancing to sit on the Board of Directors as Treasurer, utilising her success in obtaining her Master’s degree in Business Communications from the University of Siena in Italy and her Bachelor’s degree in Finance & Banking, and Business Administration from Birzeit University in Palestine.
Championing Community Wellbeing
With such a strong sense of furthering the lives of younger generations, Community Wellbeing, Maurine says, is the Pillar of Vision 2030 that resonates with her the most.
“In my work, I focus on empowering youth, women, and marginalised groups through arts, culture, and community engagement. I believe that true wellbeing goes beyond physical health—it includes mental, emotional, cultural, and social dimensions. The very essence of mind-body-spirit lies within this pillar and embodies our work in various programs at my local YMCA and I see it as essential to creating environments where individuals not only survive but truly thrive and become truly part of their communities.”
Leading with Vision and Resilience
Now, Maurine has a place on the World YMCA Executive Council, officially earning her spot at the 20th World Council in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2022. She leads passionately, saying she is honoured to have “got the opportunity to be in the vehicle that steers that movement’s strategy and work”.
She works tirelessly every day, contributing to the strategic direction and sustainability of the organisation by advocating for inclusive, youth-centred, and community-driven perspectives, especially within a context marked by multi-layered challenges.
Her goals remain ambitious and clear:
Her goals, she says, centre around the impact she hopes a strengthened global YMCA Movement can achieve.
“My goal is to contribute in whichever way I can to strengthening the YMCA’s impact by helping shape policies and initiatives that respond to today’s most pressing challenges, centered first and foremost on empowering young people. Ultimately, I want to play a part in helping the YMCA remain a dynamic, responsive, and values-driven force for positive change globally as a grounded Movement.”
Maurine finds her greatest inspiration in people.
“I believe we have a store of inspiration from each person we encounter and tag along with. The stories they bring, the knowledge and diversity, the history, and passion they have, all bring about inspiration to be the best versions of what we can be (an ongoing process), to do better and to serve our communities better. But their resilience always extends to me in my very being. It embodies my connection from the self to the world around me.”
For Maurine, leadership is rooted in service, shaped by the resilience of her community, and sustained by the hope that the YMCA will continue to be a global force for empowerment and inclusion.
If you feel inspired by Maurine’s story and want to become a World YMCA Executive Committee member yourself, read more.