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I didn’t expect my “why” to find me in a Zoom meeting full of strangers, talking about education in a country I had never been to, but that’s exactly what happened.

A while ago, I had the privilege of volunteering with the United Nations on a fundraising campaign to support education for women and girls in Kenya. At the time, I thought I was just helping out—doing my part, building experience, ticking a few boxes. What I didn't know was that this experience would leave a permanent mark on me.

As we delved deeper into the campaign, we were not just talking numbers or logistics. We were talking stories. Real lives. Girls who walked miles each day just for a chance to sit in a classroom. Young women who fought cultural barriers to continue their education. Mothers who wanted better for their daughters than they ever had for themselves.

I was someone who once struggled academically, who doubted her own worth, now part of something far bigger than herself. That’s when it hit me: this was my why.

Not just to succeed for myself, but to use that success to open doors for others. To remind girls that their voices matter. That their dreams are valid. That education is a right, not a luxury.

This experience has taught me that the value of volunteering is not just about “giving back.” It is about connecting. It is about empathy. It is about realising that even the smallest actions, when done with intention, can ripple across oceans and borders.

To anyone reading this who feels like they haven’t found their purpose yet—let me tell you something from “hopefully” the future ambassador Nour Zebeeb herself:
 

Sometimes, your purpose won’t come with flashing lights or perfect timing. Sometimes, it will sneak up on you in the quiet moments, in the things you do from the heart, in the spaces where your passion meets the world’s need.

So go and volunteer. Speak up. Get involved. Say yes to opportunities that scare you and inspire you all at once. One day, you will look back at a moment—just like I do now—and realise:

That’s when I found my why.

Nour studies BSc Economics and Management in Egypt.