FEB 15 2021
Meet Sherjeel- a college student with a creative idea to help us welcome refugees home.
Sherjeel Naeem, a pre-med student at the University of Arkansas, wanted to set his podcast apart from the 500,000+ active podcasts available. Sherjeel knew he wanted his show to be a resource for the community — amplifying local voices and spotlighting artists. He was first inspired to start this endeavor after hearing about Canopy NWA at a Students for Refugees meeting, a student-led organization at the university. From there, he dreamed up an idea to support Canopy: a podcast that featured influential individuals in the community, local businesses, and homegrown artists. And thus, The Helping Hand was born!
We sat down with Sherjeel to learn a bit about him and The Helping Hand podcast.
Tell us about your background!
I’m originally from California and also lived in Oklahoma and Arizona prior to moving to Arkansas. I’ve been in the state for the past 8 years now. I currently attend the University of Arkansas and am majoring in Biology and Anthropology as a pre-med. I plan to go to medical school after college and become a public health physician. I hope to be able to work in a global health setting and/or work for healthcare reform.
“The work that Canopy did inspired me to find a way to play my part. ”
Why did you decide to start The Helping Hand Podcast?
I thought [it would] be cool if I interviewed people that were making a huge impact on the world, or on their local communities. However, I wasn’t satisfied with it just ending there. I didn’t want it to be like a regular podcast. There had to be an important purpose behind it. Fortunately for me, I happened to join a student organization on the UARK campus that worked extensively with Canopy at the same time I was considering creating a podcast.
The work that Canopy did inspired me to find a way to play my part. In addition, I noticed how much small businesses and musical artists were struggling with losing a good portion of their income [due to] Covid-19. I thought it would be invaluable to give them a place where they could promote themselves without worrying about having to pay during these short times.
Long story short, The Helping Hand was made.
Why are you interested in supporting Canopy’s work?
Refugees are among the most vulnerable members of a society. Having to flee their homelands, they often have little to no economic and/or social support. It is a very scary situation. We desperately need organizations like Canopy, that are dedicated to helping refugees create a place for themselves in their new countries, to continue to survive and flourish. In addition, I firmly believe in Canopy’s mission to educate the general public on refugees and to shatter the various misconceptions that many tend to have about them. With Canopy, we can create a better world for people who have to endure the worst that life could throw at a person.
What should people know about your podcast?
I want people to know that The Helping Hand isn’t your average podcast, and that I never intend for it to be that. By listening to The Helping Hand, you are actually accomplishing our goal of helping others as you are heeding the many voices of people in our society that have long been ignored.
How can readers support your show?
First off, listen to the podcast! You can find it on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more. Second, and perhaps even more important, is to share it with your friends and family! If you’re not into podcasts, that’s completely fine, but we would appreciate it if you shared it with someone that does. Every listener helps keep The Helping Hand going!
I am very excited to be able to work with Canopy on this project, and plan to keep it going for as long as I am able!
Canopy is so grateful for unique and creative ideas of community members used to support our work such as Sherjeel’s. If you have a unique way to help raise awareness of our work and refugee resettlement, reach out to us!
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