A Changemaker from Egypt — Maryam Medan — Spreading love and hope to children that need it the most
Most of us have volunteered, donated, or contributed to a greater cause at some point in our life. We wish we could do it more regularly but often times blame our irregular contributions on our busy schedules and lack of resources. For the changemakers we feature on the AJALA Project, time and resources are never an excuse and Maryam Medan is a clear example of this.
A Medical Analysis Specialist living in Egypt, with a background in Veterinary medicine, Maryam spends her free time collecting new and old toys and visiting children that need it the most. Orphans, under-privileged children, children suffering from terminal illness, and children with special needs, all these children are being reached out by Maryam’s foundation — Donate a Toy. Maryam has been collecting a wide range of toy donations for her foundation, these include story books, coloring books, colour pencils, and softtoys. Maryam gift-wraps all these toys and adds individual motivational messages to each toy before she delivers them. So far her toys have spread to Cairo, Tanta, Nubia, Halayeb, and Sinai in Egypt, as well as other countries like Ghana, Uganda, and Nepal. Her mission? To spread love, hope, joy, and mercy.
Donate a Toy is currently only a team of one; though she has managed to spread joy to the hearts of more than 1000 children around the world. Her biggest challenge remains distance where she is unable to reach remote areas with her toys, a challenge she hopes to overcome once she grows a team of volunteers. When delivering children suffering from long-term illness, she ensures all toys are brand-new and made of plastic, toys she buys from financial donations, and delivers the toys to the children with a personalized message. For all other toys, she fixes, repairs, and sanitizes them, before delivering them to the children. Maryam is forever looking for toy donations as the number of deserving children keep increasing. If you would like to reach out to her, message her on FACEBOOK on Donate a Toy, or directly.
Written by Narmeen Naser
The AJALA Project brings together a global community of Artists and Writers to showcase Changemakers creating a social impact for marginal communities.
The AJALA Project aims to connect Change makers, Inspiring nomads, and Artists with potential patrons who can support the initiatives started by these inspiring individuals.
