Dr Tala Al Khalil, a pharmacist from Iraq, embarked on her hope-making journey in 2015, when she began receiving children with cancer in a special ‘caravan’ within Basra Children’s Hospital. The room provided the children with a space full of hope and optimism, away from the harsh realities of treatments and hospital wards.
Dr Tala devoted all her energy to helping sick children continue their education and integrate into society through activities such as drawing, singing and reading.

She did not stop there. Her desire to provide a helping hand to every sick child inspired her in 2018 to establish the ‘Warriors Academy’, an initiative that helps people of determination develop their skills and talents. To Dr Tala, vocational rehabilitation is the key to their future and a means of expressing themselves in society, so she worked to guide them according to their abilities, believing that every child has a talent within them that deserves to blossom.

Today, Dr Tala provides medical care and mental health support for more than
200 children with Down syndrome and cancer. Despite her young age, children call her the ‘Mother of Warriors’ because she embraced them with love that made them stronger and gave them hope.

In February 2024, Dr Tala was awarded the title of Arab Hope Maker in the fourth edition of the pioneering initiative, which comes under the umbrella of MBRGI, after she received the most votes during the ceremony. She was recognised for her continuous efforts to spread hope and encourage giving. After receiving this honour, Dr Tala described the Arab Hope Makers initiative as a beacon of giving and proof that hope still exists in the world, despite life’s many difficulties.