Across the globe girls and women still encounter challenges due to gender roles that were set from generations past. The evidence is there: achieving gender equality is beneficial for the economy, can decrease poverty and gender-based violence, and more.
Mai Khidir participated in the Milead Fellowship run by the Moremi Initiative, and was tasked with implementing a project that could transform her community in Khartoum, Sudan. Mai felt strongly that she needed to establish a project that involved building the confidence, personal, and professional skills of young Sudanese women so that they have the courage to pursue their goals. With this in mind, she founded Al Sudaniya Mentoring (ASM) to address these challenges and provide an opportunity for young women to develop key skills and knowledge to help them flourish, thrive, and become dynamic agents of change.
The mission:
Al Sudaniya Mentoring provides tailored, holistic, one-on-one mentoring to young Sudanese women by Sudanese women across the globe with the goals of providing women with the tools and resources to become engaging leaders and make a difference in their communities in Sudan, and to build a global network of Sudanese women for knowledge and skills sharing.
Mai established ASM for three main reasons:
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To connect women from across the globe with women in Sudan in order to provide them with inspiring, dynamic role models that can effectively support and guide women to challenge the status quo and drive forward in their personal and professional lives to make a positive impact to their own lives and to Sudan
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To address the lack of professional skills development in Sudanese institutions
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To allow Sudanese women to take ownership of newly gained skills within their communities and apply it into their personal and professional lives through increased opportunities and networks
Since founding her organization in 2014, Mai and her team at ASM have empowered 81 mentees between the ages of 17-22; conducted ten outreach projects with the Sudanese community on the topics of harassment, mental health, women’s rights, and technology; and saw ten mentees move on and get selected to intern at leading international organizations.
ASM’s Vision:
Al Sudaniya Mentoring envisions a future where Sudanese women across Sudan overcome the challenges they face to unlock their potential in their personal and professional lives to achieve their goals and make a positive impact in Sudan.
In 2019, Mai hopes to expand ASM to states outside of Khartoum to further the reach to women from marginalized communities and eventually mentor an additional 50 mentees. With this organizational growth, she also aims to create additional programs within ASM to focus on entrepreneurship, leadership, and professional development to fulfill the organization’s mission.
Stay informed on Mai‘s and Al Sudaniya Mentoring‘s journey.
A Healthy Blueprint 