Our nursing alumnus Sarmad M. Soomar, BScN ’16, attended an incubator workshop as part of Youth Champions Initiative, a fellowship programme designed by the Public Health Institute California and The Packard Foundation on Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Justice. The workshop intended to develop leadership and advocacy skills of young leaders who are leading sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice initiatives in five countries including Pakistan.
Under the two-year fellowship programme, Sarmad will engage in designing tangible solutions to address sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues in the country and connect with young leaders and policymakers to devise strategies for improving education and access to SRH.
Sarmad, a Global Goodwill Ambassador and a Gates Foundation’s youth delegate on family planning, began working in sphere of sexual and reproductive health during his clinical rotations in community healthcare facilities while he was a student at the Aga Khan University's School of Nursing and Midwifery, AKU-SONAM. Since then, he has led several working groups and trained youth advocates on various themes including family planning, mental healthcare, youth development, and innovation in healthcare.
“It’s a joy to see young women and men feel empowered about their health rights,” says Sarmad. “The mentorship I received at AKU-SONAM has enabled me to encourage the youth to work on issues that are normally brushed under the carpet.”
Our nursing alumnus Sarmad M. Soomar, BScN ’16, attended an incubator workshop as part of Youth Champions Initiative, a fellowship programme designed by the Public Health Institute California and The Packard Foundation on Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Justice. The workshop intended to develop leadership and advocacy skills of young leaders who are leading sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice initiatives in five countries including Pakistan.
Under the two-year fellowship programme, Sarmad will engage in designing tangible solutions to address sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues in the country and connect with young leaders and policymakers to devise strategies for improving education and access to SRH.
Sarmad, a Global Goodwill Ambassador and a Gates Foundation’s youth delegate on family planning, began working in sphere of sexual and reproductive health during his clinical rotations in community healthcare facilities while he was a student at the Aga Khan University's School of Nursing and Midwifery, AKU-SONAM. Since then, he has led several working groups and trained youth advocates on various themes including family planning, mental healthcare, youth development, and innovation in healthcare.
“It’s a joy to see young women and men feel empowered about their health rights,” says Sarmad. “The mentorship I received at AKU-SONAM has enabled me to encourage the youth to work on issues that are normally brushed under the carpet.”