Having arrived in the city in 2008 from Pakistan, Maria regards Hong Kong as her home. She found her connection to the city through engaging with its multiculturalism. Her teachers and local friends also played a huge role in giving her confidence to integrate into the community by teaching her to communicate in both English and Chinese.
Maria believes that everyone in society should be treated with equal respect and dignity, and afforded opportunities; a person’s rights and freedom should not be defined by their race, gender, ability, or other factors. She wants to be a pioneer in spreading the message of equality and inclusivity for all as a believer that each and every person is unique in their own way.
Not only does Maria have a family member with disabilities, but she has also struggled with mental illness in her past. As a result, her personal experiences sparked her interest in supporting ethnic minority communities, and caretakers of those with disabilities, and to join the Social Justice Fellowship this year. According to Maria, people with disabilities face a lot of discrimination and judgements from others even though they have their own talents and strengths. By changing the perspective of the public, Maria wants to empower people with both physical and mental disabilities, and help them lead happy lives. She foresees people with disabilities being viewed as an important and respected part of society. Through the Fellowship, she wants to receive guidance from experienced mentors, and build on her strength to achieve her social justice goals.
Maria is a secondary six student from Delia Memorial School Broadway and participates in various leadership development programs. She is also an active volunteer. She joined the TOUCH Centre, a support service centre for ethnic minorities, and completed a 12-hour Mental Health First Aid Standard Course organized by the Hong Kong Children and Youth Services in 2017.
In her leisure time, Maria reads books and watches documentaries. She also likes to go out with her family and friends.