Square Mile changed my life, says DMU volunteer Nabeelah

We’re profiling the stories of our incredible student volunteers who were presented with awards at this year’s DMU Square Mile Awards. Today, you can meet Nabeelah Omarjee

Students at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have the chance to get involved with scores of good causes helping communities across Leicester.


And one student who has thrown herself into volunteering with DMU Square Mile has picked up an award for her dedication to helping others.

Nabeelah Omarjee, from Harare, has volunteered with projects as diverse as The C-Word, which supports cancer patients, worked with refugees, trained as a Diabetes Champion and helped save lives by encouraging new people to join the UK stem cell register.
 
Nabeelah won the award for Best International Volunteer, given to the international student who has worked tirelessly to improve Leicester for everyone.

The award was one of nine presented this year to students who volunteer as part of  #DMUlocal, which uses the skills of our students and staff to help serve the public.

The DMU Square Mile awards were a celebration of the work done in the past year by our incredible volunteers.

Nabeelah, a Psychology student, said: ”Square Mile has changed my life! I got involved first off with the stem cell drive to ask people to join the national stem cell register. I enjoyed that so much I signed up for more – I’ve had so many good experiences through being part of this.”

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She was part of the first #DMUglobal Square Mile visit to Berlin, which saw Nabeelah and the team volunteer with charities supporting refugees in the city.  “It made things go to a whole new level,” she said. “It’s helped shape what I want to do with my life and it’s really impacted my thinking about the future.”

Students who sign up to join DMU Square Mile can choose from opportunities in Leicester and around the world supporting community work.

Finalists were Cybeles Munoz, who is an LGBT project ambassador, IT4Free teacher and a mentor; and Jia Chen and Yee Shani Li, who co-ordinated the painting of a giant mural designed by primary school children at Rally Park, Leicester.