Alumni & Friends

Aminah quit addiction – became a social worker and CEO

When Aminah Fallgren became drug-free, she started dreaming of helping others. The social worker programme at Malmö University eventually led her to start the treatment group SONA Connect & Academy, where she is now CEO – offering both treatment and education.

Nineteen years ago, Aminah's life was characterised by addiction and destructive relationships. She became homeless after her partner, who was wanted by the police, forced them to flee. Her whole life was packed into a suitcase, containing the drugs that were her most prized possession.

One day, her life took a turn when she found work at a restaurant: the owner had been an addict himself.

“I had to be honest for the first time in years and tell him what my life was like,” Aminah says. “He gave me an ultimatum: to keep my job, I needed to seek help.”

Although the prospect terrified her, she sought help through a 12-step programme that had helped her boss to get clean seven years earlier. Aminah decided to take the chance and soon a new chapter in her life began.

Turning point in her life – studying social work

Six months into her sobriety, she attended a European convention for the organisation, Narcotics Anonymous.

“I really started to believe the help that had worked for millions of other people could work for me. This gave me an incredible feeling of freedom. I realised that if I can be part of giving the same feeling to others, it would mean the world to me – I decided to go all in.”

Aminah started studying to improve her poor grades in the hope she could then apply for the social work programme at Malmö University. At first, she saw the education as a path to get a licence to run a treatment centre, but over time she began to understand the breadth of the programme and the range of career opportunities it offers.

“I learned theories that I could relate to my previous experiences, and there was a lot of room for discussion and reflection. This developed me as a person and gave me several new perspectives.”

Combining studies with working life

Aminah chose to combine studies with work; she wanted to gain insights into different businesses in order to one day realise her dream of starting her own.

“At that time, the social work programme was different and did not include an internship. I chose to work alongside my studies. I felt a kind of pressure to make up for all the years I had wasted as an addict. In retrospect, I wish I had slowed down a bit. So many cool and fun things happened during my studies!”

After graduating, she met Sophie, who had a similar background and shared her dream. Together they founded the SONA Connect treatment centre. Several years later, when they realised the scale of how insufficient knowledge of addiction problems are, they founded the subsidiary SONA Academy, which offers training for companies. Today they have 11 employees within the group.

“Now I mainly work strategically with the business, but I jump in operationally with treatment when needed. Twenty years ago, I would never have dared to believe that my life would look like this.”

Alexandru wants to raise awareness of climate change

In recent years, Alexandru Al-Qassam has established himself as one of Sweden's most influential figures in sustainability. With his committed work to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals and his passion for environmental issues, he has inspired and influenced both regionally and nationally.

His interest in environmental issues was sparked when – in his twenties – he went to a demonstration in connection with the climate negotiations in Copenhagen.

"I went along because I thought it was cool and exciting. It was an eye-opener for me and since then, I have been fully committed,” he says.

Alexandru then got a job with Greenpeace and was posted to Australia.

Due to its coal industry, Australia is one of the most carbon-intensive countries in the world. “I learned a lot there and realised that I had the ability to reach out to people,” he reflects.

Volunteering during his studies

When he returned to his hometown of Malmö, he decided to apply for the bachelor’s programme in environmental science at Malmö University. The programme’s focus on people and society suited him well.

During his studies, he continued to get involved in voluntary work, something he wants to encourage all students to do. “It gave me an outlet for my frustrations, allowed me to continue my involvement and meet like-minded people.”

A pioneer in sustainability communication

In 2010, when Alexandru started working in the environmental arena, it was a non-issue for many industries compared to today. "I was a jury member in a climate competition for young people run by the Swedish newspaper, Dagens Nyheter – it was incredibly fun.”

In connection with the competition, Alexandru started lobbying the media industry to strengthen its competence in environmental issues.

“In my work, I have worked to influence newspaper editorial offices to have more climate journalists on staff,” he says.

Working as a PR consultant

Today, Alexandru works for a PR agency in Stockholm as a consultant on sustainability issues. His work ranges from making an airline more aware of how to communicate its environmental work, to helping a company better adapt to sustainability directives.

He is also the chair of the jury for the WIN WIN Gothenburg Sustainability Award Youth. This is a prize that recognises outstanding efforts for sustainable development globally

Alexandru's advice to students who want to make a difference

"Dare to take on an issue – create an uncomfortable atmosphere and apply your subject knowledge. Also, read up and be critical; have ready-made messages you can use. Finally, organise yourself together with like-minded people," Alexandru says.