Last September, Abdullah joined his brother, Hamza, a Clubs That Care (new window) youth leader for Neil Squire’s Makers Making Change (new window) program, to deliver adapted toys to the Alvin Buckwold Child Development Program in Saskatoon. The experience made a real impact on him.

“I saw the firsthand change these toys brought about,” he shares, noting he remembers talking with staff about the impact it had on the children there. “And from that moment on, I realized that this could have a way bigger impact than I would have thought for my community.”

Passionate about making a difference in his community, Abdullah, a first year Bachelor of Commerce student at the University of Saskatchewan, decided to become a Clubs That Care leader himself.

“I really like volunteer work and being able to help my community and I have always been motivated to put myself out there and meet new people, and am always open to new experiences,” he says.

With the Clubs That Care micro-grant, he was able to purchase a 3D printer, soldering stands, safety equipment, and everything he needed to run build events.

Before long, he had recruited 10 student volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, including kinesiology, business, and engineering. Over the course of a couple sessions, Abdullah and his volunteers adapted 39 toys for kids with disabilities.

“I really enjoyed it. It was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot of things about myself and a lot from other people. I think one important thing I learned was sort of having leadership skills, managing to coordinate a team of people towards one objective,” he explains.

Abdullah ran the event by delegating certain tasks — like soldering — to different leads on his team. He remembers having to problem solve when one volunteer who was integral to the soldering process couldn’t make it to one of the sessions, and also after his first few 3D prints didn’t come out right.

“It was all about just making sure to have a backup plan if something went wrong,” he says.

His volunteers enjoyed the experience.

“The volunteers really liked the experience, and I feel like it also helped them sort of like grasp the importance of making adapted toys and also how simple the process can be,” he says. “One of the volunteers after told me they really enjoyed it and they didn’t expect it to be this easy, and they thought it would take more time and be more complex. They were kind of surprised about how easy it was to go about this and how simple the process was.”

The club donated the toys to various local organizations, including the Alvin Buckwold Child Development Program and Hope’s Home Saskatoon, as well as to John Dolan School for students with disabilities.

Abdullah plans on going into law in the future, and says that his experience with Clubs That Care helped him develop his skills working in team environments, planning, and networking, which will all help him in his career aspirations.

For now, however, he is happy continuing to volunteer for Makers Making Change, having recently helped his brother Hamza with making some keyguards as requested by a local school.

This post originally appeared on the Makers Making Change (new window) website.