Najah Bazzy is an American humanitarian, interfaith leader, nurse, and founder and CEO of Zaman International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty and its causes.[1]
Najah Bazzy | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Bachelor of Science in Nursing |
| Alma mater | Madonna University |
| Occupation(s) | CEO, nurse |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Zaman International |
Early life and education
Bazzy was born in Dearborn, Michigan. Both her father and grandfather worked at the Ford factory located in Dearborn (the Ford River Rouge complex); her grandfather was one of the first workers employed at the factory.[2] She earned her nursing degree from Madonna University.[3]
Career
Bazzy has worked as a critical care nurse and as a transcultural nurse.[4]
Bazzy served as an adjunct professor for the Institute of International Health at Michigan State University. In 1997, she co-founded the Young Muslim Association.[5]
In 1996, in her role as a transcultural nurse, Bazzy was caring the baby of an Iraqi refugee family at Beaumont Hospital.[4] She arranged for home hospice care, and was struck by the condition of poverty the family lived in.[6] This motivated her to focus on poverty alleviation, and her efforts led to her founding Zaman International in 2004, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty and its causes.[7] Zaman is run by volunteers and estimates having helped over 3 million people across 20 countries.[8] In addition to providing food and clothes to families in need, Zaman International has grown to provide vocational education, an infant burial program, and international humanitarian relief.[3]
In 2022, Bazzy was appointed to the Michigan Humanities Council board by Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer.[9]
COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bazzy leveraged Zaman's resources to provide pandemic-specific relief. The organization helped with food distribution and started offering virtual support to the vocational program.[10] Bazzy also worked with the board for the Governor of Michigan on Michigan's COVID-19 vaccination plan.[11]
Awards and honors
- In 2019, Bazzy was recognized as a CNN Hero for founding Zaman International[12]
- In 2020, Bazzy was awarded an honorary Ph.D. in Humanities from the Oakland University School of Medicine[9]
- In 2020, Bazzy's smile was featured on the packaging for Lay's brand potato chips, a campaign focused on raising awareness of charity leaders and their organizations[10]
- In 2021, Bazzy was included on the list of Crain's Detroit Business 100 Most Influential Women[7]
- In 2022, Bazzy was named Michiganian of the Year by The Detroit News[7]
- In 2022, Bazzy was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame for her efforts on combating poverty[8]
- In 2023, Bazzy was named as one of USA Today's Women of the Year, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact across the country[13]