Volunteer Journey
It all starts with an intention to serve.
Fanta Conde
Fanta Conde, a dedicated fundraiser, spent several months visiting Casa Umar. Alongside her husband, a practicing psychotherapist, they engaged deeply with the students, observing and assessing their needs to develop a comprehensive support roadmap. They also organized multiple workshops for parents, featuring sessions on prophetic plant knowledge, as well as interactive gardening and culinary classes for the children.
Masud Taj
Masud Taj, a world-renowned architect and student of Hassan Fathy, stayed with us for six weeks. During this time, each family member made meaningful contributions. His wife, Zaiba, focused on organizational tasks to prepare for the new school year, cooked for various group gatherings, and hosted community workshops, including sessions on the jinaza process and a children’s party. Their daughter, Zahara, helped with gardening, practiced her Spanish, and explored permaculture principles. Among Masud's many contributions were plans for site expansion, renovation of the wudu areas, and the integration of sustainable permaculture features throughout the site.
“This is the first place I’ve visited in the world that takes you back to the humble essence of being a kid.”
Quran Hodge
“There are a lot of opportunities to help out, and Casa Umar is definitely the place to do it.”
Zahara Taj
“I never thought I would see so many Mexicans praying in Jammat, saying As-salaam alaikum then speaking Spanish & enjoying a Mexican meal together… Its been really amazing I cant even put it into words”
Dalila Acosta
Rio Mursinna
During the month of Ramadan, Rio focused on his expertise in hydrology to address some of the city's critical concerns regarding clean water. His time on-site allowed him to lay the groundwork for a year of harvest, establish a water capture system, and initiate the construction of a greenhouse. This greenhouse now provides a sustainable food source for the school and serves as a training ground for the students' practical learning.
Sama Wareh
Sama Wareh, co-founder of The Art and Wilderness Institute in California, took a week to visit us. In preparation for her trip, her AWI community successfully raised funds to buy new shoes for all the students and sourced and printed materials to integrate environmental science into the school curriculum. Some of the fundraising was spent on needed supplies for the science curriculum to support The Seekers’ Garden Initiative.