Thanks to her genuine passion towards geology, an Egyptian geologist has managed to smash barriers and break social norms, treading into a male-dominated career and working on site. Sara Fakhry, who is still in her early thirties, has blazed a trail for Egyptian women in defying odds after being selected by the United States among 100 pioneering women in the STEM fields from 21 countries in Asia and Africa.
“I fell in love with geology at the first moment. Once I discovered my passion, I started to chase my dreams,” she told The Egyptian Mail.
Fakhry, who graduated from Faculty of Science Helwan University, was dreaming of joining the faculty of engineering but her score at high school forced her to join Faculty of Science.
“At first, I was depressed as I had stereotypical image about the faculty. But, later on, everything has drastically changed.”
On orientation day at her faculty, the ambitious Fakhry discovered her passion for geology, prompting her to create a Facebook page to explain science in layman’s terms to increase public awareness.
“I travelled to all governorates nationwide at my own expense to enhance people’s awareness in a very simple way. For example, I created the ‘Geology Kitchen’ where I conduct experiments with food to further simplify information.”
After graduation, Fakhry won a Hope Programme scholarship in 2014 as she was one of the top achievers in her batch.
“This scholarship paved the way for me to embark on my career journey as a geologist without favoritism or nepotism.”
Fakhry is one of the very first geologists to work on oil exploration sites, wearing the helmet and the uniform, showing off her unique capabilities.
“Sometimes I spent many days in the exploration site, sleeping in caravan. It is my passion that motivates me all the time to face any challenges,” she added.
In the meantime, Fakhry’s career journey was not that easy as she has been grappling with the social norms.
“I remember that I applied to work in a company and they did not even accept my application though I am overqualified for the position just because I am a woman. An official at the company asked me to go back home as they will only hire men. I cannot forget this situation.”
However, Fakhry landed a job with a company that believed in her capabilities, helping her to reach her full potential.
“I remember that in the interview, they asked me if my family supports me or not . I am super-lucky to have a supportive family. I am always grateful to my manager who gave me this chance.”
In the meantime, Fakhry said that the community still thinks that it is weird to find a female geologist working on site.
“One day, I posted a photo of my hands in black after work. One of the male geologists commented it is better to use these hands in cooking. This is one of the negative comments etched in my memory,” she noted.
Fakhry therefore decided to share her experiences with young people as a motivational speaker for various events. Recently, Fakhry was invited by the US State Department to a luncheon in honour of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the TechWomen event.
TechWomen is an initiative of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
“I was over the moon once I got invited as a speaker at this prestigious event. It was my first time to be in a plane and travel abroad. I was glad to share my story with international colleagues and officials.”
As Fakhry’s dreams are limitless, she is planning to work on nature reserves like Wadi Degla .
“Egypt has many reserves, which need much effort to protect. I want to benefit my country with my experience.”
