Fluent in six languages, Donia Zad tours the world to teach underprivileged children the English language.

Algerian Donia Zad assumed her responsibility to the world at a young age.

While her family’s constant shift of places would normally have a negative impact on a child’s upbringing, Zad only grew in empathy and compassion towards the underprivileged she had encountered on her journey.

She grew to be open-minded and fully aware that the world is home to less fortunate people in need for empowerment and support.

Zad started volunteering at the age of 17. Two years later, she started going on two-week tours around Algeria’s remote areas to teach children the English language in innovative and simple ways.

Zad’s father said she was exposed to what could have demotivated her as a child, yet she utilized the experience to learn different cultures, sharing her knowledge of six different languages to make an impact among children in less fortunate areas. Zad is fluent in Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Indonesian and Turkish languages.

Despite moving to Turkey and Indonesia to continue her higher education, Zad continued to make time to community services. From there, she expanded her horizons in volunteering and contributed to teaching Arabic and English across less fortunate areas in Indonesia and remote Rannalhi islands in Maldives.

Zad dreams of expanding her tours to the rest of the world to share her knowledge and empower marginalized groups.

To achieve her dream, she took a part-time job as a translator in conferences held in Algeria to fund her trips to continue educating children around the world. Her efforts, though, did not shield her from criticism for being a young girl travelling alone to remote areas, a behavior that is disregarded in Arab societies. Zad continues her work, nonetheless, insisting that people need to live for a purpose.

“My purpose is to spread knowledge among children unable to afford education, and nothing will stop me from achieving this,” she said.

Besides teaching, Zad’s also participates in vaccination campaigns and food and clothes distribution drives in refugee camps in collaboration with international organizations. She also utilizes her talent in writing to tell her story with the underprivileged children and spread awareness in her country.

Her parent’s frequent requests to focus on her studies go in vain ahead of her strong belief and passion in her mission. She faces every risk to serve her ultimate goal: Bringing light to people in dire need for hope.

Create hope… Make a difference