From Here: When Compassion Turns Into Action | Maryam Alkali | TEDxJimeta

A TEDxJimeta talk by Maryam Alkali describes an encounter at a community healthcare facility with a 13-year-old girl who used pieces of cloth during her period because her family could not afford sanitary products, and who later fell ill with a severe infection. The talk places this story within wider poverty and years of insecurity affecting communities and girls in Northeast Nigeria. Alkali presents the experience as the start of a lifelong mission, carried out through the Ahmad Alkali Humanitarian Aid Foundation (AlkHAF). The talk argues that compassion should lead to action and that people can begin creating change where they are, without waiting for ideal conditions.

• A 13-year-old girl's encounter at a community healthcare facility
• Poverty and insecurity affecting girls in Northeast Nigeria
• The work of the Ahmad Alkali Humanitarian Aid Foundation (AlkHAF)
• Turning compassion into local action

Imagine a 13-year-old girl who has to use pieces of cloth during her period because her family cannot afford sanitary products, eventually falling ill with a severe infection. How would you respond if she were sitting right in front of you? In this moving TEDxJimeta talk, Maryam Alkali shares how an encounter at a community healthcare facility—compounded by the broader challenges of poverty and years of insecurity affecting communities and the girl child in Northeast Nigeria—transformed into a lifelong mission. Through the Ahmad Alkali Humanitarian Aid Foundation (AlkHAF), she highlights how regional hardships should not limit our humanity, but rather inspire us to act. Discover why true compassion goes beyond feeling someone's pain and requires stepping up to become part of the solution. Learn how to stop waiting for ideal conditions and start creating meaningful changes right where you stand. Maryam A. Alkali is a dedicated public health professional and humanitarian based in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. Passionate about transforming compassion into tangible action, she works at the intersection of community development, health advocacy, and social impact. Through her engagement with young people, community leaders, and NGOs, she champions initiatives that empower individuals and strengthen communities across Northern Nigeria. Her work spans public health, humanitarian response, entrepreneurship, education, and business development. Driven by a clear vision of creating sustainable change from the ground up, Maryam remains committed to building healthier, more resilient communities through purpose-driven leadership and collaborative action. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx