Mariam talks movingly and very honestly about her identity as a young woman from a displaced family and the journey that her volunteering set her on. 

Her family are from Afghanistan. So while volunteering has always been a big part of her life, the emotional difficulties and rewards of volunteering in the Nicosia Dignity Centre took her by surprise. About 30% of the members there are refugees from Afghanistan.

As a Farsi speaker, Mariam spent a lot of time serving Afghans at the Centre. This forced her to confront her own privilege and the pain of people who she shares a culture and history with. 

She really helped the Afghan members who were there. And they opened her eyes to a side of herself that she had been suppressing or unable to articulate.