Time and Knowledge Nazrana

There is a lovely analogy of the impact of throwing a ball against a wall.  If you throw a ball with enthusiasm and energy it comes back to you with much the same force.  If you throw the ball half-heartedly or without focus, it returns to you with the same intensity with which you threw it.  

 

Fayaz Mawani is a high school science teacher in Vancouver, Canada and a TKN volunteer who is seeing the impact of his committed and energetic efforts.  Mawani started his TKN assignment, which involves providing career counseling to high school students in the Jamat, in September 2011 with the Education Board of the Ismaili Council for British Columbia.   

 

Although he himself has had to learn how to navigate the postsecondary school admissions process in order to provide direction to students, his expertise working with them in his profession as a teacher is no doubt an asset he draws upon.  

 

Being able to serve through TKN means a lot to Mawani.  He remembers “as a kid, wishing he could give something to the Imam that was from him” and goes on to reflect “this is my present to him”.

 

Although Mawani’s sustained and energetic commitment to his students is evident in the successes students have attained, he claims the benefits are far more for him.    “I have been able to do my job better and it’s made me a better teacher”.  Mawani says that his TKN assignment has made him a better teacher as the skills he has acquired in his TKN assignment help student who don’t get enough time with guidance counselors at school.  Thus he has grown professionally through the experience.  Plus he adds, “it’s fun”!