Introducing Balkis Chaabane, IVolunteer‘s Editor-In-Chief.
Who is Balkis?
Balkis is a Tunisian female Graduate Student. She earned her BA in English Language, Literature and Civilization from the University of Sfax in her home country. Being an Alumna of a US State Department Exchange Program called the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship, she studied English and International Affairs at the University of Southern Indiana.
An aspiring Diplomat, a Social Entrepreneur, and an Activist.
Balkis has a very diverse background. As someone who is on a nonstop quest for knowledge, she likes to equip herself with as much information as needed to make the world a better place. She is involved with several non-profits working as an HR and Development Associate with Young Peacebuilders, Program Manager with the Better Tomorrow Movement, a Young Innovator with International Connector and more. She believes in the power of youth to create a sustainable peaceful world. Balkis is also into social entrepreneurship trying to find solutions to the world’s most prominent issues. Coming from a country that witnessed a revolution and having taken part in the protests herself, she understands the need for more activists as everyone and everything seems to go off the right path easily.
Involvement with IVolunteer
Unlike most of our Executive Staff, Balkis did not get to meet Nipuna in person. She came across the Editor-In-Chief position on FastForward and figured that applying would not hurt. She was unsure whether she would hear back from the organization, but it was very quickly that Nipuna, our Executive Director, reached out to her and requested an interview. Balkis loved the idea behind IVolunteer, and knew it was the right place for her once she got to talk to Nipuna. Since then, she has revamped IVolunteer’s Blog and helped relaunch, recruit and supervise the First Cohort of the Writers’ Council.
Future Aspirations
Balkis said:” I want to do so much that it almost feels scary sometimes”. She hopes to work for the UN one day to execute concrete policies and decision-making that would make the suffering of less advantaged populations stop. Balkis dreams of seeing a world where each cares for the other, and no one has to live in pain. She is working on launching her own non-profit right after getting her Masters. To her, learning is a lifelong process and she aims to expand her academic path more in the future. “I do not know where I am headed, but I know it will be where I belong”.
A Piece of Advice
For our readers, Balkis had so many pieces of advice and suggestions to move forward. She highlighted:” You will never know where you will exactly end up, but whatever you do, do it with passion and care. Give it your all, make it as perfect as you can. That way, you will end up leaving your mark, and that matters”. She added, “Volunteer as much as you can wherever you can, if anything at all, know that you will make someone’s day (if not many)”.
Find her on Facebook or e-mail her with any questions.
IVolunteer International is a Gold Seal nonprofit organization on Guidestar. Operating from Savannah, Georgia, IVolunteer International connects volunteers to volunteer projects around the world. Since 2017, IVolunteer has connected over 3,000 volunteers worldwide. In 2019, World Trade Center Savannah selected IVolunteer International as finalists of the Peace Through Trade Competition. In 2020, IVolunteer International will develop and launch a geo-connecting mobile application which will be available to volunteers around the world.
