Rishma Thomas

What YAC were you involved with and for what period of time were you a member?

I was involved with the Vancouver Foundation Youth Council, for about one year.

How old were you then and how old are you now?

I was 16 then, and I am 23 now.

What is your favourite YAC memory?

I have so many wonderful memories. I think, best of all, was just the general atmosphere around the table when we spoke about grants, organizations, our involvement and our ability to contribute. We debated and argued, but in the end we always compromised and agreed. I remember laughter, friendship, and very happy times – always with a sense of fulfilment at contributing productively to our community.

What are you doing now?

I am working for an NGO in Tajikistan – Focus Humanitarian Assistance. I will be starting a Master’s program in Public Policy in September, 2006.

How has your involvement in youth philanthropy influenced your life today?

My involvement with youth philanthropy not only affected my university choices, but also my career choices. Moving to Central Asia after university was a big step. Since my days working with the YAC, however, I have been dedicated to working in philanthropy and at a grassroots level with communities around the world. I am grateful to have had that experience and the passion instilled in me to continue the work long after my involvement with YAC ended!

What do you think of the YIP Canada website? Any suggestions?

It’s fantastic!

What else would you like to tell people who are reading this?

Unfortunately, public service is often perceived as making others servile to the generosity of the donor institution, or those more advantaged. Nothing could be further from the truth; service is about partnerships and freedoms. That is what I enjoyed so much about working with YAC – we were building civil society institutions together, engaged in true collaborations.

April 2006