In our constantly changing world, it’s more important than ever that we unlearn and relearn the skills and knowledge that will allow us to thrive as individuals and societies.
I was fortunate to be invited by Generation Amazing (Generation Amazing, a football-focused corporate social development program of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Qatar’s delivery and legacy authority for the 2022 FIFA World Cup) to attend the WISE 2019 summit organized by Qatar Foundation held on 19th November 2019 in Doha, Qatar.
This was my second visit to Doha as Generation Amazing Youth Ambassador (GAYA) representing India.
Generation Amazing had selected Mahira Mijanji, a youth from Pakistan, and myself to share our life stories at the Hear My Story panel which was organized as a part of the WISE Summit. This gave me a good opportunity to interact with Mahira, who continues her efforts for the empowerment of girls through education in spite of the numerous hurdles and obstacles she faced from a highly androcentric, patriarchal and ultra-conservative community. Her tenacity and courage of conviction made her a role model for all those aspiring to make a meaningful difference in society. My exchange of views and ideas with her was very valuable and will help me in my continued endeavors for the betterment of society.
On our first day at Doha, we visited the Generation Amazing’s head office and met the GA staff. After that, Rosa (International Programme Manager-Generation Amazing) walked us through the proceedings of the session we were to participate in, sharing more information about the program and outlining our role and our responsibilities therein. She was also very helpful in soothing the rough edges of our story narration. It was a nostalgic evening as we recalled the good times of our previous visit as GAYA in 2018 and laughed at the mistakes we had made due to our ignorance.
On the second day, we visited the location of the WISE 2019 summit. It was a grand venue abuzz with activity and an army of workers were hectically sprucing and decorating the place to make sure that the venue would be ready in time. We collected our entry passes for the next day’s event and also met with some very friendly and helpful staff.
The next day the event took place in the august presence of dignitaries and officials from around the globe at the venue. I was in awe and enthralled to see together for the first time in my life so many legends and renowned personalities who are striving to usher changes in their communities in their unique way backed by humanitarian ideologies.
Mahira and I proceeded to join the ‘ Hear My Story’ panel was about 25 guests were invited to hear us speak on how we are contributing efforts to bring about a positive change in our community. Before our turn came, it was impressive and inspiring to hear other speakers narrate their stories and inform the audience of the different ways of being adopted by them to spread education in their respective communities. After some time, I was called on stage and share my story. Narrating my life’s journey, my days as an addiction, how I managed to overcome my addiction and restart my education was a cathartic experience. I felt a surge of pride as I moved on to narrating how football helped me turn a new leaf and also how, today, I am instrumental in helping change the lives of many underprivileged children by motivating them to study and to play sport. I was overwhelmed by the support and words of appreciation from the audience. Mahira’s turn came next and as she shared her travails many in the audience had tears in their eyes. Participating in the event was not just a wonderful opportunity for me to share my story but also boosted my self-confidence and self-esteem.
On the fourth day, we went invited to a dinner party where the food was as delicious as the ambiance was spectacular. It was our last night in Qatar so Generation Amazing’s team led by their CEO had gathered o bid us goodbye.
My participation in the summit Qatar offered an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experiences, insights, and knowledge as well as broadened my horizons which will stand me in good stead to progress in life, share my learning’s and contribute to improving the lives of children and youth of my community.
Enchanted Self Blogging And Sharing Daily Life Experiance! 