Help to Help is pleased to announce the appointment of Mehkar Sheikh as its new Managing Director, marking an exciting new chapter of growth and impact for the organisation.

Mehkar Sheikh is an accomplished CEO, board member, and global leader in innovation, diversity, and youth empowerment. She has led mission-driven organisations, scaled high-performing teams, and built influential networks across the innovation and impact sectors in the Nordics. She previously served as CEO of Venture Cup, Sweden's largest national startup competition. Her leadership has earned international recognition including the Global Leadership Award from the Founder Institute and Nordic finalist for Diversity Role Model by the Global Startup Awards.

Help to Help is entering a new phase of strategic expansion, building on more than a decade of proven impact. With a scholarship model that has demonstrated strong outcomes for students and communities alike, the organisation is now preparing to scale its reach so that even more young people in East Africa can access higher education.

“I am honoured to join Help to Help,” says Mehkar Sheikh. “The mission to expand access to higher education for young Africans is powerful and deeply transformative. I look forward to working with the team, partners, and the board to scale our reach and accelerate long-term impact across East Africa.”

As Managing Director, Mehkar will lead Help to Help’s strategic development, expand scholarship opportunities, strengthen ecosystems between Sweden, Tanzania and Uganda, and drive partnerships that enable more young talents to pursue higher education and advance sustainable development in their communities.

“We are super excited to welcome Mehkar,” says Christian Appel, Chairman of the Board. “Her experience in impact leadership and her ability to build strong communities and partnerships will be instrumental as Help to Help enters its next phase. We are confident in her capacity to drive the organisation forward and deepen our impact for students across East Africa.”

Help to Help remains committed to its mission of empowering young professionals and accelerating social and economic progress through higher education and skills development. 

Since 2010, Help to Help has enabled higher education for nearly 1,000 students in Tanzania and Uganda, many of whom now work as doctors, engineers, teachers, and entrepreneurs. Their success continues to create ripple effects across their families and communities.

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For more information, please contact:

Mehkar Sheikh, vd Help to Help, 070-460 01 94, mehkar@helptohelp.se
Christian Appel, styrelseordförande Help to Help, 070-972 72 78, christian.appel@work-shop.se