We were lucky to catch up with Asha Kabirou recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Asha, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
When I think about resilience, I think about my mom. I think about my mother’s mom, and all those who came before. Allah (God in Arabic) blessed me with the gift of pushing through even when it’s difficult. This has been true for the lineage of many women in my family as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I recently founded a nonprofit organization called Halaqah Tingz. We are dedicated to making a positive impact in the DMV area by advancing Islamic knowledge and engaging in charitable acts within the DMV area. Our goal is to foster closeness to our Creator by maintaining a judgment-free space that encourages learning. Islam is a religion of intellect, and our monthly Halaqahs (religious gatherings with the purpose of studying Islam and the Quran) aim to remind each other of the greatness of Islam and promote lifelong learning. Our memberships are growing due to the lack of a dedicated space in the DMV where women can comfortably learn, ask questions, and challenge the status quo without fear of judgment. We have bridged this gap by providing a unique, non-traditional space that fosters exploratory learning and supports lifelong journeys. This fall, we’re launching an educational platform that will offer our members a wealth of resources and tools, enabling continued learning at our monthly groups or at home, at their own pace.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three areas that’s been impactful on my journey have been: Perseverance, Grit, and Determination.
Perseverance enabled me to maintain focus and effort toward achieving the goals I set for myself, despite the expected and unexpected challenges. Additionally, it allowed me to continuously work through difficulties to build mental and emotional resilience.
Once I found what I was passionate about, that passion helped me with my drive. Grit involves being deep-seated in your passion for your goals. This passion fuels motivation and drives you to put in the hard work that’s necessary to succeed. Having grit can contribute to a sense of purpose and fulfillment. One thing I’ve learned over the years along with my different passions, is that pursuing meaningful goals with dedication has helped enhance my overall well-being and life satisfaction.
Dedication has been an easy one for me, especially when it involves something I’m passionate about. It has been a major player in my success professionally and personally. Besides being able to reach the goals I set for myself, having dedication involves being a student of life. This continuous learning and persistence leads to the development of skills and expertise. I’ve also been aware of the domino effect of it as well. Having true dedication, can foster inspiration to those around you.
My advice to those wherever they are on their journey, would be to find what you’re passionate about and allow those passions to drive your motivation. As you move along in your journey, the strengths you’ve gained over time will develop along with your resilience. Don’t be afraid of failures and setbacks! These are areas for growth. Committing yourself to lifelong learning will allow you to evolve and adapt to this ever so changing world we live in. This type of resilience is crucial for maintaining progress in the face of adversity.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Halaqah Tingz is rapidly growing. To help keep up with that growth, I would love to have those with similar passions to collaborate or connect with. Our current goals are to sustain and expand our efforts, in three areas:
1. Expansion of our Educational Program: We would love to enhance our monthly Halaqahs and provide additional resources for our community members. Learning takes place in so many forms, but often is rooted when coupled with non traditional ways of learning.
2. Increasing our Community Outreach: Charity is very important to us. Implementing more charitable activities and support services for the underserved populations in the DMV area is a top priority for us.
3. Strengthening Operational Capacity: Ensuring the sustainability of our programs and improving our organizational infrastructure to keep up the demand of the community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.halaqahtingz.com
- Instagram: @HalaqahTingz
Image Credits
Just Shoot Photography
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