INSPIRING STORIES OF COURAGE AND HOPE
How a burns survivor refused to let her injuries hold her back
As a child, Manal Hosny from Egypt dreamed of becoming a TV presenter. But when she suffered severe burns in a house fire that left her with visible scars, she thought the dream was over.
“From that moment, my life was completely cut off,” Manal recalled in a powerful short documentary made by SAT-7’s Youth for an Enabling Society (YES) project.
While the physical pain of her injuries was immense, the reactions of others to the scars on her face and body were often even harder to bear. People kept their distance, and some were afraid to shake her hand.
But Manal refused to let the accident define her life and instead tried to move forward with her education and career.
“IMPORTANT LESSON”
Manal faced a lot of rejection as she pursued different employment opportunities. But she persevered, becoming a secretary in a company and subsequently rising through the ranks to become a department manager.
Those nine years taught me a very important lesson: there is no such thing as impossible,” she said.
Manal’s life took a surprising turn after she started attending the Ahl Masr Burn Hospital, the first charitable hospital specialising in providing free burn treatment for people in Egypt and the wider Middle East region.
“They saw things in me that I could not see in myself,” Manal said. They invited her to take part in auditions and then asked her to become a media representative for the hospital, telling her, “You can speak on behalf of all those who cannot make their voices heard.”
Today she is Ahl Masr’s official spokesperson, and through her work, Manal raises awareness, supports burn survivors and challenges misconceptions about burn injuries. She said it gave her “a new direction in life”, adding, “This gave me hope and energy to support others who would find my experience useful in their trials.”
STORIES OF HOPE
Manal’s story is part of a series of real-life documentaries that highlight courage and hope in the lives of young people. They are being shared on the YES project’s Our Generation Plus social pages throughout 2026.
Such powerful and inspiring content has enabled the team to reach 500,000 Facebook followers in less than two and a half years.
“In many ways, Manal achieved her childhood dream,” said YES Project Lead, Rafik George. “She became a voice people listen to. But more importantly, she became a voice of hope for others facing challenges like her own.
“As we continue filming this documentary series, we meet remarkable young people whose journeys are filled with resilience, determination and hope. Our goal is to produce 20 episodes, each highlighting an inspiring story that reminds us of the strength, courage and potential within every human being.”