Originally published in Carroll Capital, the print publication of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Read the full issue here.
During the pandemic, Rowah Ibnaouf ’25 noticed that people in her North Carolina hometown were using Facebook to offer each other guidance on accessing essential services and available subsidies. This exchange of information and resources, called mutual aid, resonated with her. Years later, she was still wondering how to bring a similar system to Boston College. “I’m a low-income student [and] I feel very uncomfortable asking for help,” Ibnaouf says, adding that there are many University resources that students in need aren’t utilizing because they lack the relevant information.
Rowah Ibnaouf '25
She had the chance to make her mutual aid project a reality after receiving the Carroll School’s first-ever Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging grant in Spring 2024. The grant program, established by the Carroll School’s undergraduate office and the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics, invites students to submit project proposals that promote inclusivity within the Carroll School. Monetta Edwards, director of the Winston Center, explains that while the school continues to create inclusion and belonging programs, this contest gives students “a voice in the conversation” and a chance to initiate their own projects with Carroll School support.
Ibnaouf, who studies information systems and global public health, was awarded $1,500 to develop a mutual aid website that bridges the gap between students and available resources. “You learn [in the Carroll School] to use your skills for good,” she says. When the site launches, members of the Boston College community will be able to post information on academic support, government aid like EBT cards for groceries, and more.
“The best thing about mutual aid is giving people opportunities to be reciprocal,” Ibanouf says. “I hope students who aren’t low-income will also get into the practice of sharing their expertise.”
