Inspired by a family trip to Bangladesh, University of Warwick student Najeyah Ahmed is on a mission to build a women’s health clinic in Sylhet, Bangladesh.
On a family trip to Sylhet, Bangladesh, in 2019, Najeyah saw the lack of healthcare facilities for young mothers in the region and vowed to make a difference by building a women’s health clinic. “Seeing pregnant girls as young as 11 on that visit to Sylhet was a big culture shock,” she says.
“With a lack of formal education, or sex education, their only option is often just to get married and have children. They will then end up giving birth at home just with the help of a local village lady and with very little hygiene. This leaves them susceptible to infection and further ill-health.
“There have also been frequent reports of them being subjected to ‘emergency caesareans’ that they often don’t need and can’t afford.” Najeyah is planning a two-month return to Sylhet this summer to start an education programme to spread the message about the use of sanitary products, and choices around childbirth.
The hope is that this will then turn into free classes at a permanent health clinic, and formal training for local midwives. Drawing on the work from her BSc Accounting & Finance Foundation year at Warwick Business School, Najeyah has recognized the potential to create a community of stakeholders within the University of Warwick.
She will be organising fundraising events, involving her university contacts, and leveraging the support of Warwick Medical School to engage medical students in clinical practice to volunteer for health education initiatives.