I met Salina for a “perfect day of Remembrance”. On November eleventh we explored the beautiful UBC campus as she shared the stories of her travels. Immediately I knew how connected Salina was with her Ismaili faith. It had taught her about compassion and how to spread that compassion to those outside of her Mosque. It helped grow the confidence she needed to go to Guatemala and Rwanda to provide aid and learn from the people she met. Her faith shaped her values because she genuinely loves it, not because Islam is forced on her.

Salina’s social activism was born out of her faith. Her humanitarian roots started in her Mosque, grew as she entered high school by hosting various 30 Hour Famines and starting an annual walkathon, then spread as she taught English, leadership and math in Guatemala; worked with World Vision as a Youth Ambassador in Rwanda; and explored the history of the apartheid in South Africa.

When it came to her most important value, Salina taught me what it truly means to be open-minded. “As a human . . . you can only know so much” and by being open-minded, Salina has begun to really listen to everyone she meets in order to learn from them.

It doesn’t matter how young or poor someone may be, their lessons are just as important. “I taught nutrition classes in the Downtown Eastside . . . [and] I want to talk and I want to inform and I want to educate . . . But I want to also be listening . . . they can teach me as much as I can teach them.”

UBC pushed further growth from Salina. In high school, there was so much support and guidance for the amazing things she accomplished but at university this support isn’t as easily accessible. In order to reach out to her fellow students effectively, Salina was forced to figure out why she is so passionate about the work she does.

This passion showed in her smile and energy as she shared her experiences and photos. It’s no wonder Salina also represented World Vision in New York and Switzerland in a Disaster Risk Reduction debate.

“I always love working with young people and I think that’s why World Vision has always really appealed to me because it’s all about the right of the child. If they can’t get a right while they’re young, it’s really, really hard, you know, to make up for it later. I think so many of the problems today could have been fixed if we would have just show more compassion towards children and looked out for them better.”

In two weeks, Salina and a group of friends helped transform a school in Guatemala from looking like a jail to a bright and exciting school with only a few coats of yellow paint. After painting in the mornings, they taught the school children in the afternoon.

While in Rwanda Salina met a young girl by the name of Vanessa. Even though Vanessa couldn’t understand English, she recognized the World Vision logo on Salina’s shirt and ran up to Salina in excitement. Not only did she have a special connection to Vanessa from this moment, Salina also realized how — even in the middle of nowhere –World Vision has been able to reach out and help people develop their lives and communities.

Created by: Megan te Boekhorst

http://www.sfu.ca/dialogue/undergrad/pdfs/1103-MeganteBoekhorst.pdf