Emirati Maha Al Fahim’s early involvement in volunteer work in community building and education initiatives made her perfect for her role as the youth liaison for Nahtam, a social enterprise based in the Abu Dhabi. Tempo chatted with Maha…
Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in a very close knit and sociable environment where I enjoyed constant love and support from family and friends. The importance of education and constantly striving to realize my full potential was normal dinner conversation at my house. Consequently, and despite my deep attachment to my roots, I decided to pursue my higher education abroad. I attended the University of Michigan -Ann Arbor for four years where I studied Political Science and International Economics. While at college I made it a point to extend my learning beyond the classroom whether it was via student organizations, sports or volunteer work. I can safely say that my experience was extremely rewarding.
How did you get involved with Nahtam and the Children’s Programme?
I was involved in a lot of volunteer work as a student and joining a voluntary local organization was part of my plan as soon I got back from states. However, joining Nahtam was more or less a lucky coincidence. I accompanied my father to a business lunch one day that included three of Natham’s founders. After talking business for an hour, the conversation transgressed into a discussion about the importance of education children about organic farming – a topic I was finally able to contribute due to previous volunteer work in this field. Nahtam happened to have just worked on a project on sustainable farming and towards the end of the lunch it seemed like there was an agreeable overlap in our vision for how to best contribute to Abu Dhabi. I was then asked to join Nahtam to serve as a youth liaison.
What about this programme intrigued you enough to join it?
One important lesson I learned from both my studies and volunteer work is that changing the underlying belief system is a necessary prerequisite for creating change in this world. Nahtam strongly believes that education brings a change in mindset. It is the best tool to teach children about good habits and values. It also engaged the new generation and helps them become responsible citizens of the country. Every Nahtam project I was exposed to was motivated by this philosophy and that is definitely one major factor that made me not think twice about joining the team.
What are the challenges you have faced and how have you overcome them?
I have joined Nahtam very recently and I am still in what some people call an NGO’s “Honeymoon Phase.” In other words, my enthusiasm and passion is most probably affecting my ability to evaluate current challenges. However, one foreseeable challenge could be establishing the most efficient platform for connecting young volunteers to their respective community projects.
Where would you like to see yourself and this programme in 5 years?
I would like Nahtam to have grown to its maturity within five years and given my role in the organization I would like the word ‘Nahtam’ to be almost synonymous to community service among the youth. I definitely see ourselves garnering a large support base.
