Hannatu Kachiro

Moving to a new country to study can be a daunting experience for anyone. For Hannatu Kachiro, it became an opportunity to give something back to her new community.

She saw an advert for volunteers with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, on the University of Edinburgh’s Student Association website, and began to give up her rare free time to a role as a Community Connector.

Hannatu had moved to Scotland to study for an MSc in Global Health Policy at the university.

Now back home in Nigeria and working as a doctor, she said: “The focus of my work and study is on maternal and child health, so I wanted to do something voluntary in the health field. The CHSS Community Connector role was the perfect fit.

“While the work is remote and tasks done online, I always felt I was making a connection and making a difference to people’s lives. Volunteering is a very powerful thing to do because you know even the tiniest thing can make a positive difference to someone’s life.”

For Hannatu, the beauty of the Community Connector role was its flexibility. She had a heavy workload and tight deadlines to work to in the MSc course, but the ability to pick up tasks online and do them in her own time meant she could also commit to the volunteer role.

She said: “I needed to feel I was doing something for the community I was living in. I was very impressed by the way CHSS helps people with those health conditions.

“Now that I am home in Nigeria and finishing my residency as a medical doctor, I feel I have benefited so much from the Community Connector role. I would absolutely recommend this type of role to anyone looking to volunteer. It’s one of the best ways to give something back to your own community.”