Every year, 10 young adults are chosen by the State Department to receive Emerging Young Leaders Award.....
US TALK
Every year, 10 young adults are chosen by the State Department to receive Emerging Young Leaders Award. Dania Hassan is the first Pakistani to receive this award. She is the youngest high achiever of the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network’s #30under30 series.
Jetlagged yet ecstatic over her achievement, Dania shared her experience with Us: “It was a really good experience overall, with a lot of opportunities to learn and grow. Since it was a two-week programme (April 29 - May 12) with meetings and community service projects held across Washington, Virginia, and Austin, you can say it was intense. But, at the same time, it changed my perspective of the world!”
These young adults were selected because of the positive change they’re bringing in their respective societies. According to her mother, Prof Anila, Dania started her own organisation Fun to Learn after she returned from her first trip to America where she attended the summer school at Johns Hopkins University via the U.S. Summer Sisters Exchange Program in 2016; she was only 16 years old then. “Her goal is to help underprivileged children who, for whatever reasons, are unable to get ‘quality education’. She started with those government schools that were not exactly in pristine condition and focused just on the academics while ignoring other co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. She would volunteer at schools near Hijrat Colony and Sultanabad where she would involve students in character building activities, like personal hygiene (e.g. teaching them to brush their teeth and wash their hands), how to keep their environment clean (e.g. teaching them to reuse bottles and to throw away their trash in a dustbin). Sometimes, she would be accompanied by a group of students from DOW University who would provide first aid knowledge, and help them in case they’ve been abused, etc.
“I think what she was doing on an individual level was to ensure these kids are given the same education and treated in the same manner as any other privileged kids their age are entitled to so that they too have a chance to grow up to be sensible Pakistanis. From training them for Sports Day to prepare them for quizzes and debates, Dania worked day and night to make her dream possible.”
“They are a capable lot. If only their curriculum would include these activities, it would not only enhance their skills but also boost their confidence,” adds Dania.
An alumnus of The Mama Parsi School, Dania is currently a pre-medical student at DHA College. Besides organising drives and fundraisers, she has been actively recruiting volunteers. “It’s important to spread awareness of community services among our people; otherwise, how will they take responsibility and/or support these causes?” she stressed.
Since it’s her personal project, Dania’s endeavours are usually funded by iEARN Pakistan under Society for International Education. However, this help is limited to volunteer projects, and is not extended to her charity projects.
Her future plan is to continue her Fun to Learn organisation - whether in Pakistan or abroad because underprivileged people are everywhere in the world. She also aspires to be a part of the United Nations one day because she feels passionately about public speaking and photography, and wants to excel in the two fields side by side.
- S.Z
