Nowsha Farha, Project Leader for UCL Amnesty International Outreach, tells us what inspired her to volunteer, become a Project Leader and run in the Union's Leadership Race!
I personally like to channel my optimism towards creating differences that count. In my opinion, with a sense of purpose and a positive attitude, everyone is capable of driving pragmatic change.
10 years down the line, I see myself making efforts and taking initiatives in order to make this world a better place to live, while embracing some kind of notable leadership position. Therefore, everything I have done in the past and am attempting now are reflections of who I aspire to become.
At a very young age, I developed the eagerness to use my empathetic nature as a tool for helping vulnerable people. Every little impact that I made reinforced my belief in myself. Starting from the age of 6, I was Class Prefect/Monitor for 11 consecutive years. Due to my propensity to take charge, I earned the position of the Executive and later the President of my School’s Community Service Club. This position, alongside being an awardee of Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme provided me the opportunity to volunteer on numerous occasions including running their Volunteering Teaching Programme and raising funds for victims of natural disasters. In the past, I have also been a volunteer for my country’s Down's Syndrome Association.
Volunteering plays a pivotal role in my life because I feel I am usually at my best doing activities that speak to me on an innate level. My passion alone influenced my decision to submit an application to become the Outreach Officer and Project Leader of Amnesty International Society right after joining UCL last October. Ever since, I got extremely hooked on this project. The foremost objective of the project has been to educate and enlighten students about the most pressing and wide range of human right violations and to teach them about how to take a stand against prejudice.
With each passing day, I am becoming more confident and certain about my aspirations.
One day, while I was walking back from a school after delivering a workshop on human rights, I took the decision to run for the Students’ Union Leadership Race because of how inspired I was feeling in that moment. It was a session with around 25 Year One pupils. The level of enthusiasm, engagement and dedication displayed by the children made me believe more in my cause. I realized if they are willing to bear so much responsibility and make positive contributions towards the society at such a young age, why not me? Now that I actually won the election and became the Women’s Network Open Portfolio Member, I feel more passionate and motivated than ever! I can see my dreams gradually getting converted and translated into a reality and that is the most uplifting feeling in the world!
Written by Nowsha Farha, Project Leader for UCL Amnesty International Outreach.
Read a bit more about Amnesty International Outreach, or find out how you could get involved in campaigning volunteering!