Service has been a consistent theme in my life, from my upbringing in Africa and Asia to my current life in the United States. I was born into a world of poverty in Nairobi, where I witnessed the struggles of those around me. Although I lived in Dubai for most of my life, where the norm of walking through the largest malls in the world and living in literal skyscrapers brings lots of color to life, traveling back to some remote parts of Kenya always reminded me of my roots. Not much is grown in Dubai, but there is plenty of waste. Even infants have designer shoes! However, in Kenya, where you can grow everything and even find gold on the banks of rivers, you will come face to face with people who are hungry, naked, and dying of diseases, while the amount of food thrown away by a single restaurant in the United States is enough to feed an entire village. I feel constantly reminded of how small acts of service can help someone who cannot help himself.
At the age of three, my family moved to Dubai for a better quality of life. However, I was consistently the target of bullying due to my appearance, which, after several years, eventually led me to conform to societal beauty standards. I straightened my frizzy hair and covered my hairy arms. I found refuge in my Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim community, where I participated in Scouts and Guides and became a role model for younger girls who struggled with similar beauty standards. At ten, I graduated to a guide and became a patrol leader for three consecutive years. I gained confidence in myself and inspired younger girls to be confident by leading discussions and events.
At thirteen, my family immigrated to the United States while I spent six months in Kenya, homeschooled. While in Nairobi, I volunteered at various events from carnival games to food serving. I volunteered to lead yoga sessions, choreographed dances for events, and helped with dance classes too. I had never been a dancer prior to this, yet found purpose in an unexpected place.
Upon moving to the United States in 2019, I faced the challenge of adjusting to a new high school environment during the pandemic. I experienced a massive culture shock and often felt clueless. Despite our family being divided between Georgia and Texas, I found comfort in school clubs such as the Beta Club, where I participated in cleanups and hygiene drives. I also engaged in online camps and seminars offered by my religious community.
By sophomore year, we moved back to Texas where I participated in various organizations at school like Asian Club, National Honor Society, Future Medical Professionals, Muslim Student Association, and Student Council. I dedicated my weekends to religious organizations such as the Ismaili Education Student Council, Ismaili Civic, and AKYSB Volunteering every Saturday without fail. The variety of opportunities in Texas allowed my passion for service to grow.
During junior year, I relocated to Louisiana with my father, presenting more challenges. Transitioning from being constantly surrounded by my community wherever I migrated to, to an area in Louisiana where my place of prayer (and community) was more than 3 hours away and beginning to attend a predominantly Christian private school made me feel like an outsider. The amount of time I had with the people who had grown up together simply wasn’t enough to change that. Although I often travelled back to Texas for camps and other events, in this unfamiliar environment I took the opportunity to grow stronger in my religion while representing muslims in a positive light to the best of my abilities. I participated in the various spiritual activities at my school and found myself enlightened on how similar and connected each individual really is. I joined smaller activities such as soccer and the school musical, which allowed me to serve others in a different way and participated in as many events possible. The happiness I experienced from contributing to the success of these activities and to a team felt like my responsibility/service.
As I reflect on my journey, I find myself as the future president of The National Beta Club at my school, the first club I joined when I felt lost after my move to the United States. Despite the constant challenges and changes I’ve faced, service has remained a constant in my life, teaching me independence, confidence, compassion and over all appreciation. I hope that my passion for service will continue to grow, enabling me to make a positive impact on the world.
