Sanya Hassan (University of Huddersfield) UK

Sanya Hassan is a medical geneticist with a decent experience in project management, leadership, and capacity building for education in fragile and developing communities around the world. She specialises in conceptualising project frameworks, stakeholders’ engagement management, time and budget planning, in addition to online fundraising through gofundme and other platforms, workshop designing along with raising awareness strategies and techniques.

Sanya graduated with a bachelor’s (honours) in Medical Genetics from the University of Huddersfield. While in college, and as a result of her long-life passion for education, she led a project on the study of mtDNA of native Americans haplogroup D4h3 to understand the origins of their population in order to spread knowledge about the importance of exploring their heritage.

In 2015, Human Appeal International Charity Organisation chose Sanya along with 4 other candidates from the entire UK to lead a £25K-budget humanitarian project in Senegal, it included free health-day for orphanages and families, and a classroom construction across different villages to provide a suitable learning environment for the children. Consequently, 1000+ families were given access to affordable and sustainable education, stable and efficient sources of income, and ultimately a better life.

Sanya also fund raised and led Nefasha School Rehabilitation project in Khartoum, Sudan. aimed at empowering young children (especially girls) to stay in education. Constructed a 200-liter water tank and refurbished the school’s classrooms. As a result, a reduced dependence on conventional, polluted means of water sourcing by 6% in the entire community was achieved. The project also supported 960+ children to remain in education. She also managed to secure study scholarships for 20+ primary school students across Sudan.

Continued efforts led by Sanya have contributed to her winning prestigious awards in this line of work, and she has personally found great benefits in using social media to support education’s impact on the way we approach issues like community work, female and domestic abuse, and family wellbeing. While not at work, Sanya works hard on raising a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter to ensure inclusive upbringing, physical and mental preparation for tomorrow’s challenges.