Scholarship Award Winner
Maham’s Journey: From Doubt to Global Impact
In 2015, I graduated from ALDA, never imagining I would earn a scholarship or a degree—until the Zarina Shamim Scholarship Program (ZSSP) changed everything. With their support, I graduated from Quaid-e-Azam University’s School of Politics and International Relations, balancing my studies with freelance work and later achieving financial independence through roles like Communications Manager at Zarina Shamim Foundation (ZSF) and Business Development Associate at Nearpeer.
My professional growth accelerated at Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education (PAGE), where I served as Communications and Media Lead, managing 12+ donor-funded projects and amplifying the voices of 100,000+ women and girls. I authored PAGE’s Climate Action Plan, co-authored the Digital Gender Inclusion Plan, and helped establish Pakistan’s first Girls’ Education Task Force.
Now, my work is recognized globally. I was selected for the APFSD Youth Forum 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, where my innovation proposal, “EcoShe”, is being showcased at the SDG Innovation Market. I also had the honor of participating in COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, joining Innovation Zone roundtables on Women & Youth in Climate Decision-Making & ESG.
This journey—from a student uncertain of her future to an advocate making a global impact—proves the transformative power of opportunity and belief.
