Sedra Ny Aina Rakotovao

Madagascar

Aina RAKOTOVAO has devoted almost seven years of her life expanding her knowledge about health as a medical student. Her passion for public health and women empowerment made her lead a project in the rural area of the east coast of Madagascar, which improves the health and proactivity of 100 disadvantaged women, who are mostly illiterate. Aina partnered with an international nonprofit Caring Response Madagascar Foundation, and a local nonprofit Saint Gabriel, as well as the Ministry of health. Aina's devotion to youth engagement pushed her to join an international nonprofit Global Youth Leaders Network (GYLeN), which she serves as a project secretary. Otherwise, she is one of the co-founders of the first volunteer-matching platform in-country and was elected to lead for two years the recruitment-placement commission, that recruits new volunteers and places them accordingly. For four years, she has volunteered as a translator and cultural facilitator for the free clinics of the nonprofit Caring Response Madagascar Foundation, given by American doctors on the east coast of Madagascar.
Her four years of volunteering with three nonprofits, six years of internship at seven different hospitals, clinics, and labs made her fall in love with the field she majors in. It helped her build strong confidence, better awareness and humility, and leadership skills. Public health and women empowerment are definitely her career path.

Aina’s mentor is Suzana Frazao-Pinheiro.

Note: Aina graduated from the mentoring programme in 2020 and she was 22 at the time.