Morad-Cynthia

New Scholarship Fund at Harvard Chan to support Maternal Well Being

Through his foundation, Square Roots, Morad Fareed has created the endowed Dr. Nabiel and Wesam Fareed Family Financial Aid Fund for the Harvard Chan School. The fund, named after his parents, states a preference for supporting students from or descended from residents of the West Bank or Gaza who are pursuing studies in women’s health. Morad’s decision to give generously to the Harvard Chan School was influenced by his sister, Cynthia Fareed, who is the foundation’s attorney. “This was my sister’s brilliant idea,” he says. “The Harvard Chan School takes a multidisciplinary approach. Our question is ‘How do you take a completely holistic approach to an environment for maternal health?’ and my sister had the insight that we need the kind of 360-degree approach we found at the Harvard Chan School to look at all the dimensions of life.” To make lasting impact on maternal health systems, Square Roots has created a unique and innovative collaboration with the Vatican to focus on environments that will promote the health and well-being of pregnant women worldwide. “Maternal well-being is the most important public health issue of our time. The Vatican has the greatest human network—the hundreds of thousands of religious sisters in 195 countries who care for moms and babies,” Morad says. “They’re champions on the ground and dedicate their entire lives to helping humanity. Their level of commitment is extraordinary and holistic. If we can build their capacity through maternal health training and workshops, it could do something historic and enduring.” He explains: “Maternal health doesn’t just happen at the hospital. It happens at your job. In your home. In your community. In your school. It happens when you’re out living your life, which is 99 percent of the time you’re not at your doctor or in the hospital. So, maternal health is a social issue, an environmental issue, and a lifestyle issue.”