ALUMNI PROFILE: Yasmeen Fadila models leadership in her life

Hello, my name is Yasmeen Fadila. I am 18 years old and I am an alum of last summer's JPB Leadership Institute held in Brattleboro, Vermont.

In the program, we learned about conflict resolution, how to be a leader, and how to address and resolve personal and world conflicts. Most importantly, we learned the importance of learning about and working with each other. In JPB I learned so much; I gained new knowledge and skills about being a peacebuilder and leader.

Being a summer participant in JPB encouraged me to join a mission trip to help refugees in Europe just two weeks after I came back from the USA. I traveled to Athens, Greece as the youngest volunteer. I helped hundreds of refugees by making them care packages that consisted of food, toiletries, clothes and shoes, and toys.

Yasmeen engaging in play therapy for refugee children

Helping prepare care packages for families

Most of the time, I volunteered with refugee children, playing games and building Legos. We also played several Syrian games and provided food and clothes for the refugees.

Collecting donations for Rohingya relief efforts

Being a leader and lending a helping hand did not end when I came back from Athens. Recently, I initiated a local effort in my town of Tira to stand with my friends and collect donations for the Rohingya Muslim minority currently being persecuted in Myanmar (Burma). In total, we collected about 10,000 shekels.

In the future, I am looking forward to applying to be a Residential Assistant with JPB because I believe I will be a good and a bright leader to the youth participants. I am also looking forward to helping as many refugees as possible through volunteering and collecting donations. My hope is to become an International Human Rights lawyer and to use my voice to help end the refugee crisis.

~Yasmeen Fadila