Meet Ariyana Ahasan: President of Aid2Day’s Bangladesh Chapter

At just sixteen years old, Ariyana Ahasan, did not expect a single application to reshape her perspective on leadership and global health. While exploring nonprofit opportunities, she came across an Aid2Day application facilitated through Interns4Good, a program that places students with mission-driven organizations. Aid2Day’s focus on pediatric cancer immediately captured her attention, as it was a cause she had rarely seen represented in youth-led initiatives. As she learned more about Aid2Day’s mission, her interest deepened, and what began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep involvement. For the past five months, Ariyana has taken on the responsibility as president of Aid2Day’s Bangladesh chapter.

Ariyana’s commitment to the cause is rooted in the realities of pediatric cancer in Bangladesh. While the disease is widespread, access to treatment remains limited, especially for underprivileged families. Many children lack access to early diagnoses, consistent medication, or nearby healthcare facilities, making survival dependent not on medical possibility but on circumstance. These disparities made Aid2Day’s mission of supporting pediatric cancer patients through fundraisers and awareness campaigns feel urgent and personal, motivating Ariyana to step into a leadership role where she could shape the chapter in a way that addressed local needs directly. While the value of collaboration cannot be understated, Ariyana felt that leading would allow her to take ownership of initiatives and build something intentional instead of simply following an existing structure.

That sense of urgency intensified when the work moved beyond planning and into real-world interaction. During a partnered campaign, Ariyana met pediatric cancer patients face to face. One encounter in particular stayed with her: meeting a four-year-old girl who was cheerful and energetic despite having lost one of her eyes to cancer. Seeing such joy alongside such a severe illness changed how Ariyana viewed her role. Aid2Day was no longer just an organization she volunteered with; it became emotionally connected to the lives of children she had met and could not forget.

Leading the Bangladesh chapter has also highlighted how different implementing Aid2Day’s mission can be outside of Western contexts. Initiatives that are more common in countries like the United States, such as hospital collaborations or structured fundraisers, are far more difficult to carry out locally. Gaining permission to work with hospitals often involves long delays, and many standard fundraising models are not easily transferable. In Bangladesh, advocacy alone is not enough. Support must be practical and have the ability to be sustained, especially for families already struggling with poverty and limited access to care. Consequently, fundraising remains one of the chapter’s biggest challenges. Restrictions around permissions, partnerships, and logistics can delay initiatives significantly. Instead of focusing solely on scale, the chapter prioritizes realistic goals and meaningful impact. For now, Ariyana aims to emphasize quality over quantity through supporting smaller groups of families effectively while building the experience needed to expand her impact in the future.

Behind the scenes, Ariyana’s role as president is demanding and fast-paced. Her responsibilities include managing teams, distributing work, overseeing progress, and maintaining constant communication. Balancing leadership with school requires adaptability and resilience. Through this experience, she has learned that leadership often means coping with situations that do not go as planned. Working with diverse teams has taught her to think beyond individual effort and take responsibility for the collective outcome.

Looking ahead, Ariyana hopes to grow Aid2Day Bangladesh through collaborations with other nonprofits and a stronger social media presence. She believes that being in high school does not make someone less capable of leading or creating change. That belief also shapes the message she hopes others her age take from her work: you should never assume you cannot make an impact simply because of your age. Trying carries little risk, but the possibility of real change is always worth it. For Ariyana Ahasan, discovering Aid2Day became the starting point of a commitment to supporting children with cancer and redefining what youth leadership can look like.