Who is Shahd?
Moments from a short life that carried a long impact.
The Ambitious Engineer
Shahd Sadig, a civil engineering graduate from the University of Khartoum, was a persistent person who loved doing good, always seeking to benefit others and serve her community. She was known for her great ambition and tireless work to achieve her goals, whatever the challenges.
The Dream: Water for Port Sudan
One of Shahd's greatest dreams was to contribute to solving the water crisis in Port Sudan — so much so that, since her bachelor's studies, she worked on research and projects in this field, and continued working in the water sector after graduating. She was later accepted into a scholarship to study water engineering at the Politecnico in Italy, but her time ran out; she passed away less than a month after travelling.
Fighting Until the Last Moment
Shahd's fight was never just for herself. From the day she entered university, she was always seeking to help those around her: she worked to set up appreciation programmes honouring university workers and their children, and helped financially struggling students by raising donations to cover their tuition costs. Despite fatigue and suffering, she kept striving until the last moment to achieve her goals. She also believed in the importance of education and its role in building society, so she took part in initiatives and efforts to develop education in Sudan, and worked to organize conferences within the university to discuss student and faculty issues and find solutions.
The "Ahfar" Project
Shahd received support to launch her project "Ahfar," which aimed to make it easier for students to access course materials and lectures, connecting them with people able to help them academically, alongside supporting young people with suitable job opportunities. She never waited for ideal conditions to start; she believed in action and initiative.
The Brick She Laid With Her Own Hands
One day she saw workers building one of the university's buildings, and asked one of them to let her lay a "brick" with her own hands, so she could take part in building an educational landmark. That was Shahd: living for this world, and working for the next.
"Shahd Takaful"
Shahd was known for her great love of doing good and humanitarian work. Many knew her as "Shahd Takaful," after her work with Takaful Charity Organization, where she was responsible for the "Senter" complex at the University of Khartoum, and worked to establish the Takaful Al-Zahra complex at the girls' boarding house to help students in need. She also supported the organization's orphans by raising donations and holding charity bazaars and events, and took part in founding a feeding project at a shelter in Port Sudan during her last period in Sudan.
Shahd left a clear mark on every project she took part in, and a good impact on the life of everyone who knew her. It is from this that the Awqaf Shahd initiative was born, to continue the path she started, and carry the message she believed in.
