Social media serves as a powerful tool for information sharing, entertainment, and global connectivity. Content creators, individuals with significant followings and engaging content, can inform and influence many audiences by sharing opportunities.
Dr. Maram Elmutasim, a Global Student Prize top 50 finalist in 2022, Co-Founder of Gom Charity Organization, and Young African Leaders Initiative alumna, creates content that highlights opportunities for those with limited access — mostly from her home country, Sudan. Elmutasim and Aspire Institute collaborate with a shared mission to support young people in exploring new opportunities to support them in reaching beyond their goals.
“[When underserved individuals] don’t get equal access to opportunities, ideas go to waste [and] we never see change happen,” she said. “I’m a huge believer in grassroots organizations and starting from [the bottom] up — that’s how we actually impact the community as much as possible.”
Elmutasim hopes to inspire young people who want to pursue education and opportunities but lack the ability to find them.
Foundations of Success
Born and raised in Sudan, Elmutasim witnessed first-hand the impact U.S. sanctions and major political events had on youth access to educational opportunities. Fortunately, she was able to attend an international high school and gain exposure to education that went beyond these limitations.
Elmutasim obtained her bachelor’s of medicine and bachelor’s of surgery at the University of Medical Sciences & Technology (UMST) and planned to stay in Sudan for a few years after graduation. However, when war broke out, she relocated to Egypt where she currently lives.
“I had to completely change my entire 5-year vision plan,” she recalled.
Stepping into a Digital Space
Her educational journey and studies abroad empowered Elmutasim to seek additional resources for herself and others. Knowing that the language barrier further limited Sudanese youth’s access to opportunities, she created social media accounts with content in both English and Arabic.
“People still don’t have the skills [to] go and search for things; they just expect to run into them,” she explained.
Elmutasim initially shared her experience as a medical student with others in this field, but she quickly discovered that her content could inspire a wider audience.
She co-founded Goma8ra and, through Twitter, gave students a space to find study partners and feel empowered to keep studying. This initiative eventually evolved into a peer tutoring platform where she tutored first year medical students virtually. They moved Goma8ra beyond a digital space and expanded to in-person events for a brief period, but — due to a military coup causing instability in Sudan — they returned online in 2021.
“I can not [tell] you how many times we’ve planned a project and never were able to do it because of something happening politically,” she said.
However, once the COVID-19 lockdown began, Goma8ra was established in its online operations, allowing it to become the number one online learning platform in Sudan.
Elmutasim began gaining followers on her Instagram page, medwithmaram, who were engaged with subjects outside of science and medicine. She utilizes this platform to promote studying, share resources and tips, and provide support to students in their academic journey.
She continues to grow her network and find opportunities she can share with her audience, including the Aspire Leaders Program.
“I feel so proud when I share something and people share back with me what they ended up doing,” she said. “It feels like I’m part of it — like a community. These are my people.”
She encourages her followers to learn as much as they can from new networks and opportunities.
“Not doing it is not going to make that much of a difference – but doing it might,” she emphasized.
An Inspirational Future
Elmutasim is currently taking a gap year to reflect on her career path and develop herself personally and professionally. She has pursued new education and mentorship opportunities, but she always returns to medicine. She enjoys the wonderful interactions with patients and remains fascinated with the field’s versatility.
During this year, she also continues to impact many as a content creator. She collaborates with Aspire Institute to inspire underserved individuals to aspire to more and create change in their community.
“When you talk to people from [rural areas], you start realizing [that] these people have great ideas that can be implemented [and] make such a huge change for the people of that area,” she said.
Through our combined efforts, we hope to empower young leaders in Sudan and beyond to achieve amazing things they may not have previously thought possible — creating a better future for the next generation.
