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Taking the Next Step from Walker to Volunteer: Spotlight on Shams Khanmohamed, Western Region Volunteer Team, Los Angeles

Every year Shams Khanmohamed looks forward to taking her children around their Los Angeles area neighborhood to raise awareness and collect funds for the Los Angeles Partnership Walk, a PartnershipsInAction initiative that benefits AKF USA projects to improve the quality of life for impoverished men, women and children in Africa and Asia.  “As Americans, our standard of living is much higher than other parts of the world, it is therefore important for our children to learn about issues facing the poorer countries,” she explains.  “Each year at the Village In Action I learn a great deal about the Foundation’s work, and it gives me the motivation to come back every year and fundraise for the Walk with my family.” Village in Action is a display of interactive exhibits and hands on activities that inform visitors about the innovative solutions the Foundation brings to the vulnerable communities that it serves.

However, at the 2008 Los Angeles Walk, Shams didn’t need to tour Village in Action, since she was responsible for creating it.   The year before, she was tapped on to become a Lead Volunteer Coordinator for the Village in Action.  Shams had always been impressed by the fact that 100% of all donations raised at the Walk go directly to projects overseas and that initiatives are mostly run by volunteers although she had her doubts about getting everything done on time. However, she was determined not to drop any of the activities that she had selected.. Thanks to her team of dedicated volunteers, she didn’t have to.  “The day of the Walk was amazing,” Shams remarks, “everything came together and people really learned a lot.”  One of her favorite interactive exhibits was a traditional Afghani tea house called Chai Khana, where Walk participants learned how community organizations come up with solutions for local issues with the assistance of the Aga Khan Foundation.  “We had 15-minute sessions where five or six participants got chai and acted out such meetings and tried to come up with their own solutions,” says Shams.

"As Americans, our standard of living is much higher than other parts of the world, it is therefore important for our children to learn about issues facing the poorer countries."
--SHAMS KHANMOHAMEDThrough organizing the Village, Shams gained a more in-depth understanding of the Foundation and its work, which she hopes to put to use at next year's Walk.  For instance, she learned more about the broader Aga Khan Development Network, of which the Foundation is an agency and its extensive portfolio of development work.  “I wasn’t aware that there was microfinance banking available for people in Asia and Africa to apply for small business loans. She was impressed by the fact that the Network had not just been giving money, but teaching people how to improve their lives and their communities.

As a participant, Shams found the new learning resources available at the Walk quite interesting. Armed with that knowledge, Shams hopes to attract new participants next year. Her personal goal as a volunteer is to get more business professionals to attend the Walk, “I want to get the message out there,” she stresses, "and to expand my reach further and attract not just families and community groups, but business world as well.” 

Ready to take the leap from participant to volunteer?  Visit the “Get Involved" section of the website for details on how your can increase your involvement with AKF USA and its PartnershipsInAction initiatives.