
Daniel Fama, 23, from Langley, is the global projects intern for Trinity Western University and one of eight leaders under the age of 30 from all over B.C., who are being recognized by the BC Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) as global citizens and models of civic engagement. BCCIC is profiling eight youth from BC through videos, podcasts, and written profiles, which are posted on their website.
The profiles are part of International Development Week, an annual campaign that highlights the work of Canada's development community. This year’s theme is “I Am Making a Difference,” and the goal of the project is to use the stories of these eight phenomenal young leaders to inspire Canadians of all ages to spring into local and global action on issues of social justice. The Government of Canada provides funding for this initiative through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Daniel Fama works at TWU in the Global Projects office of the Student Life department. He is responsible for planning volunteer trips for over 80 students each year, both locally, and globally. He places students with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, The Mustard Seed homeless shelter in Calgary, and the Bay Area Rescue Mission in San Francisco. Daniel has himself volunteered on the ground with the latter two organizations, and has worked in Tanzania for the past three summers at the Tumaini Health Centre. There, along with TWU senior biology student Arend Strikwerda, he conducted local community assessments and helped to develop health education programs.
Daniel hopes that his next placement will be in the Middle East, addressing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, perfecting his Arabic, and learning Hebrew. Daniel sees all of his international experiences eventually leading him back to Canada to work with refugees and immigrants, to “make them feel welcome and safe here and help them plug into society and have successful lives here too.”