Arab and North African Society: Charity Officer

I am excited to run for the position of Charity officer, bringing with me a strong foundation of hands-on experience and a deep passion for creating positive change. My background includes extensive involvement in charitable organizations both in Egypt with the Resala Organization and in the UK with Human Appeal. Through these roles, I have gained valuable experience in fundraising and community outreach, raising awareness, and mobilizing support for meaningful causes.

One of my proudest achievements was successfully raising £3,000 for Human Appeal via JustGiving.com, leveraging both in-person efforts and online platforms. This experience taught me the power of collective action and the impact that well-coordinated fundraising can achieve, especially with the right dedication and outreach strategy.

As Charity officer, I am committed to driving impactful initiatives, empowering our members, and extending our support beyond UCL to help those in need around the world. I believe that we all share a responsibility to support each other, and I am ready to bring fresh ideas, enthusiasm, and dedication to our society to make a real difference.

As a member of the Arab and North African society since 2022, I have always been participating in events and getting to know other members of the society. I am very proud of my culture and wish to promote a welcoming community where other people of the same heritage can feel like they have a home away from home. I believe this is important in cultivating a sense of belonging for the Arab and North African diaspora, where we can share our love for our languages, food, music and culture overall. I have a strong background in charity work and have participated in various project fundraisers, the most recent being a student-led project at UCL called Books and Bakes, where I helped conduct a books and bake sale to raise money with other students for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). It was a very rewarding experience where I was able to connect with other people over a shared passion for the cause. I learnt the key skills needed to convince people to contribute to a good cause, namely being friendly and approachable. I believe charity work is especially important to me as an Arab and Iraqi, who is eager to raise awareness about the plights of victims to the conflicts in the Middle East. This role combines my love for my culture, meeting new people, working in a team, and my passion for being a charitable and active participant in bettering society. I wish to meaningfully contribute to the Arab and North African Society before my time at UCL is over next year.

Assalam Ale3kom everyone! 

As a first-year student in Politics and International Relations, I am running for Charity Officer because I firmly believe that empathy is the key to making meaningful social impact. My commitment to helping others goes beyond borders: in addition to volunteering with the Red Cross in France, I am honored to be the Godmother of a nursery in Nianing, Senegal, a place close to my heart. During my visit last year, I organized activities for the children, improved the nursery’s website and boosted its visibility, resulting in 150+ new visits. This experience gave me a deeper appreciation of education’s role in different contexts, especially as I witnessed firsthand the challenges in Senegal, where the literacy rate is only 57%.

My multicultural background and language skills—French, English and Arabic—would enable me to connect with a broad audience, making it easier to organize fundraisers that resonate with a wide range of people. Having lived in Morocco, the UAE and being originally from Tunisia, I am equipped with diverse experiences and sensitive to cultural nuances. If elected, I would bring this global awareness to run impactful fundraisers. I would like to elevate the visibility of various causes in the MENA region and building partnerships that reflect an inclusive vision of charity work. Please vote for me to help our society make a meaningful difference.

Dina Bouchar