On the surface, Mahnoor Umair is sweet, sophisticated, and incredibly stylish. But this girl has some major plans; not only for her career, but for the world around her, as well. She’s only in her sophomore year of college, and already she’s started a non-profit organization, travelled the world, given motivational speeches, and has been in the presence of United Nations Ambassadors.
And she’s just getting started.
What are you studying here at BU, and what career path do you hope to take?
I am in the College of Arts and Sciences, double majoring in Political Science and International Relations. I plan on attending Law School and eventually becoming the first Pakistani Woman Supreme Court Justice. My grandfather was Chief Justice in Pakistan; however, unfortunately due to his assassination, my parents had to leave the country as refugees in hopes of coming to not only the land of opportunity but the land of safety. Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to walk in my grandfather’s footsteps and become the next change maker.
Can you explain your charity, such as what it does and what its main goals are?
Angels Without Boundaries is a non-profit registered charity organization with the mission of building schools and installing water pumps in developing countries. We aspire to spread education to those who are not as fortunate enough to receive it and provide necessary resources to the village. The schools that are built are equipped with the needed books and classroom essentials. Not only does Angels Without Boundaries benefit third world countries, it also educates the United States by spreading awareness by allowing me to be a motivational speaker in California, giving speeches and presentations to companies, high schools, organizations and clubs.
What motivated you to start Angels Without Boundaries?
In 2010 my parents had decided to take a family trip back home with the hope of allowing my siblings and I to become more in touch with our roots. While we were driving to get to the city, we passed by some villages, one of which stood out to me. In the 119-degree weather, little boys were sitting under trees attempting to do schoolwork. No book, no room, nothing. Seeing this as a student who attended a private Catholic school, overflowing with resources, I suddenly felt my heart sink. “Where is the school?” I began to ask. My father immediately picked up the conversation by telling me that this place has not had a school for decades, but “some day someone” will take care of it. Upon returning from the Middle East, I began relooking at my priorities. I was empowered to help these kids achieve quality education despite them living in a destitute community. Coming back to school that fall, [I was] walking through the school hallways hearing, “I hate school!” I realized that not only was I going to help underprivileged children in the Middle East, I was also going to help children in the American schooling system, to appreciate and acknowledge what they have been provided with.
That’s a big goal. How did you go about making this happen?
I set forth to fundraise to provide the children a furnished school. Even after a devoted nine months, nothing hindered my loyalty to my commitment. Boosting my ambition to aid the needy, I gathered the responsibility to take full leadership, making the decision to personally deliver the supplies to that village I saw in Pakistan. Not knowing what to expect, I finally reached Pakistan–this time with a goal. The school was built and then it was time to hold an Opening Ceremony. Walking towards the school, I began to see not the five little boys that I initially saw, but 300 boys AND girls. Witnessing this scene was unimaginable, unbelievable and unexplainable. As I was handing backpacks to every student, I noticed one girl nervously approaching me. She briskly grabbed her backpack and left. After walking two steps, she turned. In stilted speech she whispered, “You are Angel.” I was stunned. In that moment I promised myself to make this an ongoing mission. It was the inspiration for Angels Without Boundaries®. After a year of dedication, five water installations, and four classrooms, I have turned a service project into a miracle by becoming the founder of a non-profit charity organization seeking to benefit the quality of life around the globe.
What obstacles did you face throughout that year while creating your organization?
In the Middle East and South Asia, it was very difficult for the villagers to be willing to send their girls to a co-educational institution. I really had to push for something that I felt strongly about. I spoke to each family personally and explained why their girls should not only be allowed to attend school in the first place (instead of working at becoming homemakers or servants) but also be allowed to attend the same institution as boys. Fortunately, after discussing the idea, they were on board.
Another obstacle was the government. It was not possible for me to just go ahead and build a school anywhere I wanted. In fact, the initial spot I wanted, I could not have for safety reasons, so I had to push my school a few miles down. The government is tight on their education policy and has its own government-run public schools, which I could not get in the way of. I made sure to hold meetings with government officials throughout the duration of the fundraising and constructing of the school to prevent any problems from occurring.
You mentioned speaking in California. Have you travelled anywhere else to promote your charity?
So far I have travelled to various villages across Pakistan, all of Northern California for speeches. I’ve been to New York, as well as Los Angeles, and am currently fundraising to build a school and install water pumps in Nigeria. My goal is to make it to every country in need throughout my lifetime.
I also know you’ve done some work with the United Nations, can you tell me about that?
I was given the opportunity to attend the 58th annual conference on The Commission on the Status of Women, as well as attend the United States Federation for Middle East Peace: Equal Access to Education for Girls and Women, where I was honored to meet European Olympic Champions Julie and Katherine Hansson, Ambassador and Permanent UN Representative Ufuk Gokcen, and the President of USFMP Salwa Kader. I was also able to sit in the middle of the conference with the ambassadors from all around the globe, specifically behind the Russian ambassador, beside the UAE ambassador, and on the other side of the Moroccan ambassador.
Any other fun facts we should know about you?
I am part of various clubs across campus, some of which are The Organization of Pakistani Students, Pre-Law Society, World Affairs Forum, as well as part of Alpha Delta Pi. [Sidenote: Mahnoor was awarded New Member of the Year from BU Greek Life’s Panhellenic Council!] Also, I am the Creator/Manager of the Hubert H. Humphrey Internship Program sponsored by the US Department of State, and can fluently speak four languages.
Help Mahnoor raise money to create facilities in Nigeria by checking out the Angels Without Boundaries Website:
http://angelswithoutboundaries.org/
Also be sure to like the Angels Without Boundaries Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AngelsWithoutBoundaries