MY
ROLE
Laila Arafa has worked for almost 40 years in the Swedish Department of Education, in several capacities, as school leader, consultant, advisor and psychologist. Mrs. Arafa is currently taking part in an education program concerned with Work and Health environments at Karolinska Institute, a medical university, education and research center.
The topic of health lists very high on the Swedish agenda. Prior to that Mrs. Arafa worked as a school leader for many years, with overall responsibilities for an organization dealing with children with neuropsychiatric disorders such as ADHD and autism. During this period Laila Arafa promoted the cooperation with Karolinska Institute, (KIND) center for research, a world leading institution with focus on development and education regarding neuropsychiatric disorders, enabling the school to receive up-to- date methods and skills for their work with the students concerned.
Laila Arafa has been involved in the program organized for Swedish school leaders in cooperation with Harvard Graduate School of Education regarding the theme “Inclusion”, a challenging area of interest that Swedish schools are focusing on to apply wherever possible.
The program included education, school visits, lectures, seminars, literature and working groups in both countries over a period of one year. Mrs. Arafa had an active role in implementing the theme “Inclusion “in the Swedish schools.
Laila Arafa has also worked as a psychologist during the 80’s and 90’s in the school system, a work that included performing psychological assessments of children with neuropsychiatric disorders, guiding and supporting school leaders, teachers and parents with focus on the organizational, group and individual level, as well as holding seminars and lectures for school teachers regarding students with special needs. In that role she promoted and expanded cooperation between several schools regarding students with special needs as well as the general population of students. This work led to, amongst other things, the establishment of different learning environments enhancing learning for all students, which was appreciated by all the schools concerned.
Laila Arafa was for many years a member in Zonta International, a leading global organization supporting several projects for gender equality and human rights, often in cooperation with UN agencies.
The projects aim, amongst other things, to promote women’s health and education, as well as abolishing gender-based violence, child marriage and human trafficking (https://www.zonta.se/det-har-gor-vi).
Laila Arafa holds a B.A. degree in psychology from the American University in Cairo (AUC)
and has continued studying in Sweden within her former role as psychologist, as school
leader, as a supervisor and as a consultant during her 40 working years in Sweden.
PROJECT TO
SUPPORT REFUGEE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN
Laila Arafa has taken part in a project for over three years, aimed at supporting refugee families and children from warzones with traumatic experiences to receive adequate needed support in Sweden. The project was a collaboration between the School Department, Save the Children Organization and the psychiatric unit. In her role as school psychologist, the work included assessments of the children’s needs in schools, guidance and support to teachers as well as collaboration with the psychiatric units working with the families.
Laila Arafa has done research work, a study, concerning children with mental retardation, both in the poorer areas of Cairo and in Sweden under the guidance of prof. Nicholas Ciaccio, dean and associate professor at the psychology department at the American University in Cairo, AUC, and director of Child Guidance Center in Cairo during 1977/78.
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