KHAWLA ABDELMAJED

Khawla Osama Abdelmajed is 25 years old, Sudanese, IT graduate with the MSc in Information Technology software Engineering, she started her career as IT application engineer in a national company in Sudan as youth national services, then as teaching assistant at Khartoum University and currently serving as a volunteer at the African Union Commission.
She is passionate about Information Communication Technologies for Development ICT4D, education, innovation, research, peace-building, youth development, and women rights. She also believes in voluntarism and community service. She started to be a volunteer from 2011 in several organizations in both on-line and off-line mode.

“Do not judge things only by emotion”

Q: TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY, AND ALSO YOUR LIFE'S STORY!

Sudan is a very interesting country in East-Northan Africa, with Afro-Arab culture. Also is a diverse country in terms of population, regions, and natural resources. However, Sudan is full of challenges we have a long way to go, in education, health, training and employment, democracy and gender equality. My life story is a very simple one and I were lucky growing up in the beautiful city of Khartoum the capital of Sudan, get the opportunity to attend the school and keep on my education till M.S.c degree, compared to other girls in the rural or conflict area in Sudan. Then during my schooling, I started to feel Sudan challenges form my small community of college, and I was thinking if this in our small community what about the whole Sudan. So I started to do voluntary work to my society since 2011, as well as developing myself by joining capacity building training in/out Sudan to perform better and here we are, I am looking to be a decision maker for better Sudan.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF THE WORLD AS IT IS TODAY? AND HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE CONCEPT OF A BETTER WORLD?

From my point of view, the world today is not in the best cases, we are doing good in some aspects like science and technology, in the same way, there is a lot of negativity, hate, discrimination, and conflict.

A better world for me is the place where all the people are equal and their dignity is respected, again they have the same access to the opportunities.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY CHALLENGES IN YOUR SOCIETY?

Lack of access to education and health care

Conflicts

Poverty and extreme poverty

Dictatorship

Violation of the basic human rights

Q: AS A YOUNG INDIVIDUAL WHAT ARE A FEW OF THE HURDLES THAT YOU HAD TO OVERCOME UP UNTIL TODAY?

For me, my challenge and fight, it was about overcoming the stereotype.

Q: WHY IS THE ROLE OF A MENTOR IMPORTANT FOR YOU?

Having a mentor is very important in this stage of my life, because I have to take significant decisions about, postgraduate and career shifting. That's why I feel I want to have a mentor to assist me to do well in my professional life as well as getting life experience from the mentor.

Q: NAME A PROJECT, A FOUNDATION OR A PERSON IN YOUR COUNTRY THAT YOU THINK IS DOING GREAT WORK IN HELPING IMPROVE OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES!

Sudanese Knowledge Society

Education without Borders

Dr.Gada Kadoda

Q: ATHENA40 IS THE FIRST EVER GLOBAL SELECTION OF THE TOP 40 WOMEN FORWARD THINKERS, COMMENTATORS, ACTIVISTS, AUTHORS, ACADEMICS, ENTREPRENEURS, EXECUTIVES, INNOVATORS. CAN YOU THINK OF A TRULY INNOVATIVE AND FORWARD-THINKING WOMAN FROM YOUR COUNTRY THAT YOU WISH TO NOMINATE FOR THE ATHENA40 GLOBAL LIST?

Dr.Gada Kadoda

Q: SHARE WITH US A PHRASE, A POEM OR A STORY THAT YOU LOVE OR YOU FIND INTERESTING!

“Stay hungry, stay foolish” by Steve jobs

Q: TELL US ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM YOUR MENTOR.

Think strategically not just for today and do not judge things by my emotion only.