Gala 2024: Khadijah’s Talk

At buildOn’s 2024 Gala, buildOn alum Khadijah Cham gave an inspiring speech to a packed crowd of guests. Read on to hear how her time with buildOn has impacted her life!

Good evening, everyone. My name is Khadijah, and it’s an honor to share how buildOn has transformed my life and taught me the power of service.

My journey with buildOn began right here at home, in my own community. I’ll never forget my first volunteer trip to a local soup kitchen, Tabernacle, where I helped serve meals to people from all walks of life. That experience opened my eyes to the profound impact of even the simplest acts of kindness.

From there, my passion for giving back grew. I spent countless hours volunteering—cleaning parks to make our neighborhoods brighter, assembling care packages for those in need, and visiting nursing homes to connect with the elderly. Listening to their stories gave me a sense of purpose, and those moments taught me the value of empathy and compassion.

This spirit of service eventually shaped my career path. Today, I work as a certified nursing assistant in a nursing home, driven by the same desire to give back that buildOn inspired in me.

While my journey began at home, it expanded to the world through buildOn’s Trek program. Traveling to Malawi and Nepal to help build schools was life-changing. These trips immersed me in communities filled with strength, resilience, and unwavering hope.

In Malawi, I watched women rise before dawn, their babies swaddled on their backs, as they walked alongside me to the worksite. They sang beautiful songs while I taught them TikTok dances, and together we dug trenches, hauled water, and laid the foundation for a school that would transform their children’s futures.

These women carried unimaginable burdens—farming, cooking, cleaning—all while dedicating hours to building a school. What drove them wasn’t just physical strength but a deep hope for their children to have opportunities they never did.

In Nepal, I witnessed the same determination. Women worked tirelessly alongside us, lifting stones and mixing cement, believing that this one school could rewrite their children’s futures. I’ll never forget a mother who said, through a translator, “this school will change everything.” Her quiet pride and gratitude moved me deeply.

These experiences abroad taught me that service is universal. Whether in Malawi, Nepal, or here at home, it’s about coming together as a community to create hope and opportunity.

buildOn didn’t just teach me to serve; it changed my life.

I recently graduated with my associate’s degree and am on my way to becoming a nurse, a career rooted in the values of empathy and service that buildOn instilled in me.

buildOn is more than an organization. It’s a movement—a bridge connecting people across borders and backgrounds, empowering communities to dream big.

By supporting buildOn, you’re not just helping build schools or fund programs—you’re transforming lives, just like mine. You’re giving people hope and the tools to create a brighter future.

Thank you for believing in this vision, for standing beside us, and for being part of this incredible journey. Because together, we are buildOn.