By Aminah Imran
This past weekend, the Middle East Refugee Aid (MERA) group hosted a health fair at
the Muslim Youth Community Center (MYCC) in Raleigh. MERA is a nonprofit
organization started by a group of UNC students with the intent of providing equitable
access to healthcare resources for refugees, particularly those hailing from the Middle
East.
Salma Hakam, the Director of Public Health at MERA and a senior at UNC, reflected on
the difference between the 2023 health fair and the one held this past weekend, stating that it did not draw as much attention last year since it was held only a few months after their public launch. Over the past year, they’ve undergone extensive networking with organizations all over the Triangle area, successfully getting their name out in the community. This enabled them to hold this year’s health fair at the well-known MYCC in Raleigh.
Who was at the Fair?
Healthcare representatives, both prominent and local, had a presence at MERA’s health
fair. Among them was Atrium Health, which had the goal of educating the youth about
cancer and preventative measures. They hosted three interactive booths, each with a
unique purpose. One was meant to show kids the effect that smoking has on the lungs,
another discussed the different types of stress and demonstrated stress relief techniques through yoga, and the third was a bracelet-making station with UV beads
meant to show when the sun’s UV rays are reaching them. Ali Mahmoudi, a representative from Atrium Health, stated that they hoped to leave a lasting impact by
increasing the general public’s knowledge through these small but life-changing
lessons.
UNC’s Equitable Cardiac Health Outcomes club (ECHO) hosted a station that taught
the core basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, better known as CPR. They explained
that CPR is administered when a person goes into cardiac arrest and that performing it
increases a person’s chance of survival by 80%. They hoped that their presence at the
fair would empower the public with knowledge for emergency situations, thus creating a safer community with improved life expectancy.
Dermatology Solutions of North Carolina Cares, Inc., is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of skin cancer, primarily through the provision of free skin cancer screenings to North Carolina residents. Their presence at the fair focused on spreading the message of sun safety by giving out free sunscreen, providing resources that teach people how to protect themselves from the sun and what to look out for. Representing the organization at the fair was Hana Kabir, who said she hoped to educate people of color in particular on the importance of taking care of their skin.
Carolina Nursing primarily focuses on issues related to blood pressure, blood sugar,
and vision. They aimed to spread the word that they hold a free health clinic every
Tuesday, as well as the first and third Saturday of each month. Some additional services
they offer are A1C tests, a common test used to diagnose Type I or Type II diabetes,
and lipid panels, which measure the level of fats like cholesterol in your bloodstream.
Maria, who was representing Carolina Nursing at the fair, stated that she believes “we
are one, we are whole… and we need to act like that.” She believes that participating in events like this fair helps spread the message of peace, unity, and love.
Several pre-dental students from UNC were present at the fair to educate the youth
about proper oral health and hygiene habits, with the belief that teaching them at a
young age will build lifelong habits. Their booth featured engaging demonstrations,
including a “fun science experiment” that showed how bacteria and sugars interact and
develop into an “icky foam” that resides on your teeth. They also had interactive models for kids to “floss” and “brush” the imaginary plaque off the teeth models. They finished off with a quick presentation packed with facts and useful information for both kids and their parents. Their primary goal was addressing the lack of education in many communities and inspiring a new trend of health-conscious generations.
Looking to the Future:
Salma Hakam spoke on behalf of MERA to share the organization's goals for the future.
Locally, MERA hopes to empower the communities they serve as well as those who
intend to serve alongside them through health literacy programs and creating more
sustainable movements towards their goals. She suggested they could achieve this in
numerous ways, such as creating programs in nutrition education or providing first aid
training for their volunteers. Hakam mentioned they intend to increase their efforts
abroad by raising money and collaborating with organizations that provide medical and
In terms of growth, MERA is looking to onboard more team members, creating a network of positions that would help them to increase their output of local resources that are free to the community they serve. For their next annual fair, they would like for it to be a coordinated event between a variety of organizations. As MERA continues to move forward, their efforts to serve both local and global communities exemplify the endless possibilities that arise through unity, collaboration, and dedication to uplifting those in
need.
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