Standing up to defend one’s values and beliefs is always easier said than done, and quite often we find ourselves lost in a whirlwind of conformity versus actively protecting those values. This week’s campus celebrity features Fatima Tajammal, a second-year Land and Food Systems student who passionately defends human rights and global health outside the classroom, voicing her thoughts on issues surrounding international sustainability and gender inequality. Her involvement in UBC Hope For Happiness and the Youth Mental Health Association of Vancouver allows for the expanding of her visions on international development and youth mental health as she opens up with fellow UBC students who share the same ideas.
I was curious as to what UBC Hope For Happiness is, what it means to Fatima, and why she decided to participate. “The visions and values that I possess align easily with that of Hope For Happiness,” she said, “I want to be prepared for the realities of international development.” She was immediately drawn towards Hope For Happiness because of its promising values of the 4 As: Awareness, Advocacy, Action, and Accountability. She saw something that could allow for her to “dive into the realm of international development and become part of a community that was taking charge in global sustainability”. Hope For Happiness and their “belief that people can make it themselves” greatly inspired Fatima, as they place emphasis on creating sustainable ideas and solutions to issues such as human rights abuse, poverty, and social inequality, as well as implementing a “sustainable model” through research that aims to “educate people to support themselves” while ensuring transparency in their funding and works. She also told me about Hope For Happiness’ current efforts in Mugeta, Tanzania, where twenty to thirty student volunteers from UBC and the University of Waterloo worked to build a sustainable local farm after carrying out intricate land surveys in the area to ensure the successful growing of crops.
“Land and Food Systems is a perfect blend of integrated research that focuses on global issues involving sustainability and health,” Fatima answered when I asked her why she chose to transfer into the Faculty of Land and Food Systems from the Faculty of Arts. To Fatima, the Land and Food Systems curriculum is a “mixture of science and arts”, an integral element in creating practical and sustainable solutions due to its interdisciplinary perspectives. So far, she is loving her first year at LFS, “I am truly happy, because it is a wonderful feeling to be able to finally find your niche, a place I belong to,” she beamed. “I see LFS as a truly close-knit community that is both diverse and practical in skill-building.” In particular, she mentions her LFS 250 class, which intrigued her as she was exposed to the ‘ecology of knowledge’, a concept surrounding the study of education and how it had changed throughout history.
Upon discussing her ‘ecology of knowledge’ class, I asked Fatima what she thought about the education of youth and youth welfare here in Vancouver. Her involvement in the Youth Mental Health Association of Vancouver was movtivated by her vision that in order for education to be successful, “the right form of education must be implemented.” Her belief that traditional academia does not necessarily guarantee the wellbeing of individuals in a community reflects the persistent stigmatization of youth mental health. She states that taking an active role in the association had allowed her to participate in expanding the outreach towards youth in need of help and support, as well as amplifying the accessibility of youth mental care in Vancouver.
As we delved deeper into the conversation, I learned that the influence of her parents shaped Fatima’s desire to make changes to the current issues on social injustice and gender inequality. Her mother’s participation in various local protests and continuous efforts in Pakistan to repel misogyny and discrimination towards professionals in the teaching of physical education and kinesiology had influenced her will and advocacy in standing forward to defend basic rights and communal welfare. “She used to say to me that I should be helpful to all people, because help may return from those who you don’t necessarily know.”
What are Fatima’s thoughts on living a fulfilling student life here at UBC? “Know and remember that everyone’s journey will be different, because difference is what the world needs,” she states. “I think it is important that we consider what education is to each of us.” Feeling confused and lost is normal, and Fatima has also experienced feelings of uncertainty. “Don’t be afraid to be a little selfish. Pursue what makes you happy, and make happiness the center of you.”
Be sure to stay tuned for UBC Hope For Happiness’ upcoming samosa sale in October!