Education is something nobody can take away from me says Dr Nikhat Shameem.
After years of travelling the globe, Dr Shameem had returned home to teach applied linguistics at the University of the South Pacific.
She is a writer and a poet, having published a book of poetry called Let the Conch Speak, which was published in 2019, the year she received an MBA from the University of Cumbria in the UK.
“I have worked in academia and as a development professional internationally in Fiji, New Zealand, England, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and the Sudan,” she said.
“I have also worked with UNICEF in Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu.”
Dr Shameem’s parents are Abdul Azeez Shameem, poet and philosopher, and Ayesha Shameem, teacher and philanthropist. She has three sisters, one of whom is in Fiji and two are abroad. She is married to Anit Singh from Lautoka and they have a son, Tanveer Singh.
“I attended Suva Methodist and Suva Grammar School after which I joined USP to do my first degree in education and language and linguistics,” she said.
“I was lucky to get a Maganlal Narsey scholarship to do this.
“Later, I went on to do a diploma in teaching English for speakers of other languages and a PhD in applied linguistics from Victoria University of Wellington for which I got a Sarah Anne Rhodes scholarship.”
Dr Shameen is blessed to have had these opportunities which opened doors and allowed her to follow her passion without being a financial drain on her parents.
“My mother was a teacher and is my role model in teaching and academia. My second role model is Maya Angelou, poet extraordinaire.
“Her poem And Still I Rise has been my anthem for many years as she is an inspirational and gifted writer.”
Dr Shameem said her parents taught her and her sisters that education was the key to a bright and successful future.
“The thing I learned in life is that you can be as mean as you like, as awful as you like to me but you cannot take away my education and this is something that my father gave me.
“My parents were also keen philanthropists, having established a school in the 1970’s for young women who had failed their secondary entrance exams. It was called Islamia Girls High School and was located on Matanitobua St where the learning centre now stands.
“I have always been interested in language arts, hence my work as an academic in linguistics and particularly in the maintenance, use and promotion of Fiji Hindi.
“I continue to work in this field.”
Dr Shameem’s biggest achievement was working with UNICEF where she was responsible for sourcing funds and implementing projects in some of the hardest to reach areas in the world.
“I managed the Girls Education Programme for UNICEF in Nigeria where only .03 per cent of Hausa girls go to school in Northern Nigeria.
“The aim was to source $US180 million ($F379.67m) and get a million more girls into school by 2020, which was achieved.”
Dr Shameem added Nigeria was not an easy duty station.
“The UN building in Abuja got bombed by the Boko Haram in 2011 while I was there. I lost some good friends and to this day I feel very sad on the 26th of August, which is the anniversary of the bomb.
“I have made close friends everywhere I have lived and worked, and they continue to be my rocks in life.”
Dr Shameem said if she could travel back in time, she would tell herself that tough times don’t last.
“I would say, well done for surviving and thriving in some of the most challenging aspects of my life, both in terms of physical location and in what I have achieved educationally and professionally.
“I wish I had written more – poetry and short stories as writing has been my strength and seen me through some difficult times.”
Dr Shameem said as a woman, there were people who underestimated you and tried to undermine your abilities and capabilities, but through prayer and hard work she was able to overcome many tough situations.
“The best part of having a strong educational background has meant that regardless of the curved balls that life has thrown me, my education and qualifications as well as my writing have spoken for themselves.”
She advises young girls who wish to take up any career in life to never give up, and to be courageous and outspoken.
“Be strong. Strength of mind, strength of spirit and might of education will never let you down”.
“I want to quote my father on this with one of his favourite sayings… Khudi ko kar buland itna, ke har taqdeer se pehle, Khuda bande se khud pucche, bataa teri razaa kya hai.” It translates to (make yourself so strong that before God writes your fate, he asks you what you would wish for yourself).
Dr Shameem’s writings are listed on Google and easily available.
