Charity, Empathy and Evacuees- How a Simple Message became a Local Effort, Overnight!

Don’t “just lament with some friends over coffee” as Nishat puts it, but instead force yourself out of a routine of complacency. Yagna Nishat may not be the most recognizable of names but she has certainly earned her place in the pantheon of local heroes. Mrs. Nishat, born and raised right here in Bahrain, showed kindness beyond belief when she led the local Afghanistan evacuee charity drive, bringing clothes and more to evacuees transiting through the island for processing before moving onward to their destinations.

“How can I help?” was the question Yagna Nishat had asked upon hearing that evacuees, who were “coming with literally[...] just the clothes on their back” to Bahrain. The instant enthusiasm to engage in helping others in the community was inspiring. That alone merely gives a glimpse into the situation many of the evacuees were in after having “been stuck outside the airport for God knows how many days” and highlights the significance of helping others in need, especially when the gravity of global issues often leave victims helpless under the relentless brunt of tragedy.

“Seize the opportunity”, even if “charity is not convenient” is the perspective that Nishat adopts. Avoiding making excuses for not being charitable and not listening to the pleas of others is a key takeaway from our interview with Yagna Nishat, something all students can work to incorporate in the future. Don’t try and wait for the perfect charitable cause to come through the door for as Mrs. Nishat says “that happens a dime a dozen” but instead “when something comes your way, do it. It’s as simple as that and that’s really what happened with this Afghanistan donations drive”.

Charity may not be convenient, after all “very few of us… can sit there and write a fat cheque right?” but Mrs. Nishat’s example shows inconvenience is not to stop us. Running the charity drive was “far from convenient”, “You’re all guns fired or you’re not” yet Yagna Nishat pressed on because “you roll with it”. “If you have a charitable heart, which I really do believe that inherently all humans are good and are kind, seize the opportunity”. That doesn’t mean running a charity drive by yourself but by being kind to people, donating to causes you can, and organizing to help others we really can make a difference, indicating a change in attitude

Finally, we learn charity comes with many rewards. First and foremost this to those who needed aid receiving it, when people's lives are improved even if only a little, but also to you for your charity. If you are worried about getting into charity then note that Yagna Nishat details the most rewarding part of her charity work was “the sense of accomplishment. I mean it was like a total adrenaline high. It was seriously euphoric. The end result is so gratifying”. Working to support others creates an attitude and belief system filled with excitement and adrenaline, and provides more merits than one may consider on base level.

Thus, as we concluded our interview inspired and enthusiastic to create change, we finished on one final value of benevolence, it’s significance summarized succinctly with the quote “if you’re going to be anything, let it be being kind”.

Callum Laing 11D and Yusuf Kamran 12F