Director of Medical Aid, Co-Founder

Bilal Azzam is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Biology and Business with an interest in medicine and public health. Coming from a family of Middle Eastern refugees, Bilal was 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 is an undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Biology and Religious Studies. She was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. Her family is originally from Jaffa and Gaza, Palestine, and had held refugee status for decades. She became acutely aware of the health gaps and deteriorating quality of life for under-resourced populations. Inspired by her family’s own lived experiences, she hopes to improve the health outcomes of MENA refugees locally and abroad.

Director of Public Health

Salma Hakam is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a student of UNC’s Gillings School of Public Health, she is pursuing a degree in Nutrition with minors in Chemistry and Education along the pre-med track. With a drive to combat healthcare inequities, as a part of MERA, Salma plans to integrate solutions to access disparities within Middle Eastern refugee populations focusing on health literacy promotion for sustainable solutions.

Director of Finance