Days for Kids

Last Saturday, September 17 was officially proclaimed “Day for Kids” in Mesquite, Texas! I was very excited to emcee such a great event with over 10 branches of Boys and Girls Clubs from the Greater Dallas area. We were honored to have the Mayor of Mesquite in attendance and present the official Proclamation to the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. I was greeted with many familiar faces, as I have visited with many of the girls involved in these Boys and Girls Clubs through the SMART girls program, for which I have so honorably become an Ambassador.

The morning kick started with a great initiative to get the kids moving! Doing aerobics and even learning some Beyonce moves with hundreds of kids was a blast. After some short presentations, the kids were open to go have fun throughout Celebration Station! Although one of the main goals of the Boys and Girls Clubs is to promote education, it is very important to have fun and play with friends and family! 

With so many great grand sponsors and volunteers from all over the metroplex, the day was a huge success!

Convention on Child Rights and Sight, Yale University

“To Inspire, Motivate and Encourage” That was my motto and goal for the speech I delivered at the Distressed Children and Infants International’s 2^nd Annual Convention on Child Rights held at Yale University this past Saturday September 10, 2011. Being a guest speaker to a group of such honorable and distinguished guests was definitely a memorable experience. We had Goodwill Ambassadors Babita Akhtar, an acclaimed film actress and winner of many global film awards from Bangladesh, and Michael Turco, an acclaimed magician and finalist on America’s Got Talent from New Jersey. I was also honored to be in the presence of Dr. A. Abdul Momen, Ph.D., an ambassador and permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN and also Vice President of the UNICEF executive board along with many other notable guests. 

Every presentation helped open my eyes and develop my passion for education and halting child labor that much more. 

I proudly spoke on my experiences traveling to Bangladesh, awarding scholarships internationally and even the simplest things like dancing and singing with the girls at an orphanage. I love speaking about my passions and I was highly satisfied with the reaction I received.  I was honored when many of the distinguished guests approached me at the reception following the convention to express how much my speech truly touched them.

The youth forum was a huge hit and as always, I loved signing autographs and taking pictures with my favorite group of people – kids!

DCI Illinois Chapter

Last weekend marked the beginning of my “tour” with Distressed Children and Infants International. I landed in Chicago, IL on Saturday September 3, 2011 and was warmly welcomed by the incredible DCI Illinois Chapter with a dinner reception that evening. Sunday was extremely busy as we prepared everything for the Eid and fundraising event featuring some very special guests all the way from Bangladesh! I honorably shared a stage with Bobita Auntie and Beauty Apu from Bangladesh that evening. These two extremely proponent women in Bangladesh proudly support Distressed Children and Infants International and traveled half way across the world to advocate and fundraise for the organization in various chapters around the nation. 

 

Dedicating my part of the presentation to youth involvement, I shared my many experiences through DCI and even showed a short video! I love to inspire, motivate and get the youth really enthusiastic about volunteering because my experiences with DCI and my scholarship program, Learning Creates Futures, has truly shaped me into the young lady I am today. Through my worldly travels and experiences, I have met amazing people and walked through many doors that have changed my life. 

I am proud to announce that I kick started the DCI Illinois chapter’s Youth Leadership Organization, with the assistance of the Program Director, Dr. Sabina Ahmed. 

Thank you DCI Illinois for a wonderful experience!

I am excited to spend another weekend with Bobita Auntie and Beauty Apu in Hartford, Connecticut at the Child Rights Convention at Yale University. I am also greatly honored to share a stage with the President of DCI, Dr. Brian DeBroff, professor at Yale University, and Founder Dr. Ehsanul Hoque.