Three Leiden students in the running for an ECHO Award
Three Leiden students are in the running for the annual ECHO Award. This prize is for students from non-Western backgrounds who are actively engaged in society and promote diversity and inclusion. The three Leiden nominees are Gnimdou Yaovi Assih, Husna Jalal and Sohana Jethnani.
Gnimdou Yaovi Assih
Gnimdou Yaovi Assih is studying to be an upper-secondary French teacher and currently works as a lower-secondary teacher at Edith Stein College in The Hague. He has founded and co-founded several organisations including EducExchange, an international education organisation, and the ANBI Foundation, which wants to improve the quality of education in his native Togo and the Netherlands. He combines all of this with looking after his family.
‘As a Togolese-Dutch bridge builder, I aim to connect different cultures and communities’, says Gnimdou. ‘My vision is to bring the Netherlands and Togo together in an inclusive project where different people meet and learn from one another.’
Husna Jalal
Husna Jalal is taking the Master’s in International Relations and is a women’s rights activist. Originally from Afghanistan, Husna works for her own Women for Change International foundation, which aims to empower young people from refugee backgrounds and women from non-Western backgrounds. She also works as an independent consultant, providing policy advice from a non-Western perspective, and is a much-requested commentator in the Dutch and international news media.
‘My vision is to harness my knowledge and experience to inspire and empower others so that everyone has the chance to develop to the full and to contribute to a diverse and inclusive world’, says Husna. ‘Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of my mission because I believe they are essential to a harmonious and prosperous society.’
Sohana Jethnani
Sohana Jethnani completed her Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences: Global Challenges this summer. Over the past few years, she has held various roles in UNICEF Netherlands’ English-language student network and is currently a coach for its national board. At Leiden University College (LUC) she was a student ambassador and chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Student Committee (DISC), a student initiative. Sohana was born in India.
‘Education is the foundation on which we build our lives and influence others’, says Sohana. ‘It is an essential and integral part of childhood, influences our future and shapes who we are and how we grow. However, many children around the world face considerable challenges and barriers to accessing education. That is a topic that deeply affects me.’
Update: On 25 September, the nominees for this edition of the ECHO Award were announced. Husna Jalal is one of the nominees for the ECHO Award WO 2024. The final winners of the various categories will be announced on 28 November.
Photo: (l-r) Gnimdou Yaovi Assih, Sohana Jethnani en Husna Jalal.