Today we’d like to introduce you to Lamba Najib.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lamba. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a daughter of the Afghan diaspora. My parents fled the Soviet-Afghan Invasion in the early ‘80s and arrived in America as refugees.
From a young age, I always had a passion for politics and civil/human rights. Part of being in the Afghan diaspora means regularly having mehmaan (guests) over, eating qabli palou and mantu, and having political discourse while having our evening chai (tea). Watching my father instilled confidence in me, that I could voice my thoughts and opinions – he would frequently remind me to be my own independent woman.
Despite the trials my parents faced living in a foreign country, their support pushed me to become the first in my family to obtain a university education. I obtained my B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 2016.
Shortly after graduating, my family and I suffered a traumatic loss with the death of my older brother. An event like that leaves a mark on your life forever, but my brother had always motivated me to pursue my goals. Yet, his absence has only continued to push me to do better. We would spend our time together either having conversations about politics, history, religion or just listening to hip-hop. He was proud of his heritage and wanted to give back to his community. I wanted to find a way to pay my respects to my family history and the lives of those who positively impacted me.
One of the ways that I found to give back to my community was by directly serving it. I am currently an organizer at a civil rights organization serving the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, South Asian (AMEMSA) communities through policy and advocacy work. I’ve also discovered Children Without Borders – a Canadian grassroots organization that aims to find sponsors for Afghan children, mainly orphans, who are unable to receive an education and are forced into child labor. It felt like it was felicitous to find three recently orphaned brothers from the same province as my parents are from in Afghanistan. Through these types of sponsorships, CWB takes children out from the fields and into schools where they are provided with free tuition, education, transportation, and meals. I continue to try to find active ways of giving back to my people and community.
Although my story isn’t uncommon as someone living in diaspora, it’s one that I wear proudly. Just as my parents were given a chance at life, I hope to spend mine in ways I can positively impact others.
We’d love to hear more about your work
I’m currently a Community Organizer for one of the largest Muslim civil rights organizations in the nation. My work largely revolves around policy and advocacy efforts to increase civic engagement in the American Muslim community in Southern California, specifically in the Greater LA region. But it’s equally important to coalition build and create new relationships, strengthen existing relationships, and support one another with the work that we do.
I’m a child of refugees. We sought support from our community and our culture is heavily tied to our community. So I have always been passionate about working with my own community but also bridging that with the love I have for civil rights and law. I’ve been given the opportunity to work in collaboration with many amazing civil rights organizations, grassroots organizations, and on some incredible projects – i.e. 2020 Census, Get Out the Vote, Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, No Ban Act. It doesn’t happen without the support of your community.
The most inspiring thing about being an Organizer is being able to see the kind of leadership each community has to offer that often goes unappreciated. Someone in the field once said to me, “If we don’t do this work for our communities, who will?” and it’s stuck with me ever since.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
No place is without its flaws, but Greater LA is a special place for a reason. It’s one of the most diverse regions in the world and is full of talent and powerful stories! When my family first landed in America in the ’80s, they were in a small town in Pennsylvania. My grandmother flew out to Los Angeles to visit her sisters in LA – they had immigrated a few years prior – she was taken back at how beautiful LA was, and still is. It’s not just the weather or the beaches, it’s truly because of the people.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Faizan Ghori
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
