Director of Medical Aid, Co-Founder

Bilal Azzam is a UNC-Chapel Hill Alum currently conducting his Fulbright Research Project in Refugee Health and Psychology in Amman, Jordan. Coming from a family of Middle Eastern refugees, Bilal has been surrounded by stories of struggle and trauma his whole life. His familial experiences inspired him to create an agent of change, MERA. Aimed at reducing health disparities and guaranteeing basic human rights to every refugee, he hopes MERA can be a continuous resource for the underserved.

Director of Dental Aid, Co-Founder

Tala Jazairi recently graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, where she studied Biology and Religion, focusing on the interconnectedness between health, healing, and religion. These studies contextualized the stories of her family’s history as refugees, especially the barriers they faced accessing health-related resources, inspiring her to co-found MERA to mitigate the gaps in healthcare and achieve health equity for other refugees. Currently, Tala is pursuing a dental education in hopes of working with MERA as a provider in the future.

Director of Public Health

Salma Hakam is a passionate advocate for health equity who received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health in Nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With experience leading health literacy programs and conducting fieldwork in Kenya and Egypt, she specializes in creating culturally tailored interventions that address systemic mistrust and language barriers. Committed to actionable change for her global and local communities, Salma aims to reduce health disparities and promote well-being for marginalized populations, especially through her role in MERA.

Director of Finance

Aabia Saeed is a Health Policy & Management student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, dedicated to advancing health equity for refugee and immigrant populations. With four years of experience in North Carolina politics, Aabia is committed to shaping policies that address systemic barriers to healthcare access and further promote holistic well-being for refugees. At MERA, Aabia has thoroughly enjoyed her role in building MERA while continuing to empower marginalized communities here at home and abroad.