Sondos – Leadership and Relief Efforts in COVID

Sondos, TechGirls 2013, Jordan

In 2013 I was chosen to participate in the TechGirls program. I thought it would be a great experience like many others, but for me TechGirls was a real life-changing experience. Besides all the knowledge I gained during the program which helped me pursue my graduation project at that time and create a “Baby Protection Device,” TechGirls had the greatest impact on my personality. The inspiring ladies I met during the program taught me to believe in the possibility of changing the world and that each and every one of us is responsible for our community at different levels and have to do our best to help others in need. The program enriched different aspects in my life such as voluntary work, team work, time management, cultural knowledge and many more which all consequently brought me to where I am today and helped me to become who I am now.

This year I graduated from medical school in Jordan with honors, and am working as an intern doctor. During the beginning of the pandemic, I was really hesitant to volunteer in any health related work because I would be putting my family’s health at risk, especially my mom, who has chronic illnesses which put her at a higher risk for a more severe form of the disease. With the total lock-down in Jordan, I was thinking about all the patients with chronic illnesses “like my mom” who need their medications and other patients who cannot reach hospitals. I felt that it’s my responsibility to volunteer because if everyone was afraid, who’s going to do it?! That’s why I volunteered with Watan, which is an initiative created by a group of Jordanian doctors to help with Jordan’s effort to combat the pandemic. We were able to deliver medical assistance for individuals in need and raise awareness about COVID-19.  Seeing the impact of my work every day made me continue what I was doing and inspired me to help people in every possible situation. 

A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure to be one of the 11 Muslim frontline workers selected from all over the world to participate in a special Eid-Al Adha conversation with Secretary Antony Blinken. We spoke about the efforts my colleagues and I have done during the pandemic and even how we can improve the current situation. This honor gave me more responsibility for my community; this is a very hard time for all of us, everyone is fighting their own battles besides the virus… but we need to work hand in hand, step by step, in order to eventually win the battle against our common enemy.