I have always believed in giving back to society. It is an honour to live out King’s vision of making a positive difference and making the world a better place.
Rida Bokhari (MSc International Marketing, 2017)
01 June 2021
'I have always believed in giving back to society'
How King’s alumna and volunteer Rida Bokhari embodies King’s ethos of Service.
Rida Bokhari (MSc International Marketing, 2017) has been involved in community work since she was very young.
‘I have always believed in being there for others and helping them,’ she says.
In March this year, as part of King’s Global Day of Service, Rida put this into action by distributing food care packages in her hometown of Islamabad, Pakistan.
‘Poverty and hunger remain key issues across Pakistan. I have supported various Global Day of Service initiatives before. This year, with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, I truly felt that this is a time when people need support and need to feel cared for the most.’
Rida distributed her packages across four parts of the city, including the disadvantaged lower socio-economic urban and more rural areas where people didn’t have sufficient access to food and drink. ‘It was chaotic and challenging, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.’
Inspired by the concept of ‘random acts of kindness’ she also included a printed card with messages on life, wellbeing and sharing in each package. ‘Seeing the smiles on the recipient’s faces was my happiest moment’, she says. ‘This was a small contribution from me. It was my way of being ‘the light’ for others, to help them shine and give them a ray of hope on a dark night.’
Rida came to King’s in 2016 to study International Marketing and says it was that experience that gave her the opportunity to serve society and since graduating in 2017 she has volunteered for the King’s community. Firstly, she became a mentor for King’s marketing students and alumni and then took up the role of Alumni Ambassador – the first in Pakistan. Where she is a national point of contact for prospective students, a source of information and inspiration and actively promotes alumni engagement.
‘Serving both King’s and Pakistan had been one of my goals,’ she says. ‘Bringing these together has been a beautiful combination of giving back and making a positive impact.’
In 2020 Rida became a mentor in the Diversity Mentoring programme at King’s Business School, where she helped students achieve their personal and academic goals. The experience went further than nurturing skills, she explains: ‘Mentoring can be a truly life-changing experience for both the mentor and mentee. It’s a two-way street, where both the mentor and mentee learn from each other, in ways that help to broaden one’s perspective and bring in fresh ideas.’
‘My journey at King’s has helped me develop personally and professionally, King’s is truly a part of who I am.’ Rida hopes to continue partnering with King’s on more initiatives in the future.
Rida really embodies what it is to be part of the alumni community and King’s ethos of service. This Volunteers' Week, we’d like to say a big thank you to her for everything she is doing.