MBBS alumnus Dr Wajid Akhter reflects on founding Charity Week, leading global volunteer efforts, and how the skills gained at St George’s fuel his mission for unity.
"You meet the most amazing people through volunteering. The people you meet become like family, and I can’t imagine my life without having met them."
Wajid MBBS alumnus and Charity Week Founder, Dr Wajid Akhter, has led three international volunteering teams abroad alongside his roles as a GP Principal in Essex and Medical Tutor in Social Media and Medicine.
We spoke to him about how he’s used the skills he developed at St George’s in his volunteering work, and the challenges and rewards that come with it.
Working together to provide support
Dr Akhter founded Charity Week after deciding he wanted to do something practical to help people abroad in need of aid and support. He says:
“In response to any natural or man-made disaster, the usual impulse is to go to your pocket and donate. But I realised that donating to help people only gets you so far.
The problems we are trying to alleviate aren’t actually financial problems. There’s no lack of money causing the disaster in Yemen or the migrant crisis in Southern Europe. It’s a systemic issue rooted in social justice, corruption, ethnic conflict, and much more.
When I thought more deeply, I realised money isn’t the solution — unity is.
I’ll use a medical example: with the Covid vaccine, we achieved ten years’ worth of work in ten months because the world came together like never before — pooling resources, talent, energy, and time.”
He continues:
“So I rethought medical aid and how to provide support. I wanted a project that promoted unity among people of different ethnicities, religions, and countries — and that’s what led to Charity Week, which is all about working together.”
Bringing transferable skills to new challenges
That experience led Dr Akhter to multiple other volunteering projects:
“I’m working on a few different projects now. I founded Life Savers, which opens mosques to teach CPR for free — it’s open to everyone and now operates in 12 countries.
I’m also working on the Covid Response Group for the Muslim community in the UK, which brings together Muslim organisations, Imams, microbiologists, scientists, and philanthropists on one platform to coordinate Covid-related responses.”
Dr Akhter says his degree at St George’s helped prepare him:
“St George’s gives you a unique set of skills to be a leader in any field. Healthcare students are analytical and scientific, but we also develop strong communication skills to speak to patients in different situations, and the ability to prioritise under pressure.
These skills transfer to so many other fields. Whether it’s professionalism, empathy or analytical thinking — we combine science and art. And when healthcare professionals know their power and how to use it, they’re unbeatable.”
Why volunteer?
Dr Akhter says volunteering builds better professionals:
“The more you do outside of medicine — whether sports, hobbies or volunteering — the more skills you gain.
It’s also important for your mental health. Volunteering gives you enjoyment, purpose, and self-worth outside of work.
Many of us in healthcare are in a privileged position with stable income. It’s important to give back and help create a better society for everyone.”
On motivation, he adds:
“When you’re tired or low, it’s easy to drop the volunteering. But if you’re self-motivated, you’ll remember why it’s worth it.
Volunteering is like a pass to the most exclusive club in the world — the people you meet become like family. Even if you live in different countries and have never met in person, they become like your brother or sister because you’re working toward the same goal.”
His advice to anyone considering volunteering?
“Treat the decision as seriously as you would marriage — it’s a long-term commitment.
Just like a relationship, you need to ask: Does this fit my personality, my family, and who I want to be in ten years?