Rania Hashim is a 15-year-old innovator who is on a journey to enable human betterment. We’re also incredibly proud to say she is one of our Top 10 Future Leaders of the Year. Rania spoke to us about her reasons for entering the competition and her mission to tackle period poverty.
Why did you enter The Future Leaders Project?
I entered The Future Leaders Project after hearing about it on social media. As someone who had already established myself as a leader, I felt my story would inspire other people to become a leader, which contributes to my mission of youth empowerment. Moreover, The Future Leaders Project had some amazing prizes that would really aid my growth and seemed like an amazing community to be a part of! I can’t express how grateful I am to my past self for making the life-changing decision to apply.
What did you get from it?
Applying to The Future Leaders Project was one of the best decisions I made. Even if I hadn’t won, nothing can beat the impactful skill workshops on the day of the final event. It really helped me sell myself (in a good way, of course) and taught me an amazing framework to provide feedback. Of course, being the winner has given me amazing opportunities like ongoing investment, virtual work experience, 1:1 mentoring etc… and I cannot be more grateful for these!
Why is this learning important?
These learnings, especially when exposed to it from a young age, come in handy not just in business or educational settings but also in general. Knowing how to pitch myself in a minute and to provide high-quality feedback is a skill that is necessary to be a leader in any setting.
What’s next for you?
Something I really want to explore, aside from continuing my work in the food systems, is period poverty. There is just so many people in the nation who do not have access to menstrual products, education, hygiene facilities etc… This is mainly due to how taboo the topic is as well as lack of education on menstrual hygiene. A shocking statistic I came across is that 10 million girls drop out of school just because they got their periods. I want to change this statistic, by helping such girls stay in school and contribute to society.
Tell us more about the impact this will have on your community?
From the research I’ve done, I’ve learned that solving period poverty could break the cycle that lead women to not being able to contribute to society as functioning members by keeping them in schools and giving them better conditions. Moreover, I’ve learnt that most reproductive disorders are caused by poor menstrual hygiene and so, if this problem were to be solved, there’d be a drastic decrease (up to 70%) of these disorders.
If you want to know more about the Future Leaders Project, or if you know anyone who can help Rania, please get in touch with rachael@ivyhouse.co.uk.
