Creating Space for Connection: A Teen’s Vision for Youth Belonging

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Rodiyah Adewumi. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

When she was just 13, Rodiyah noticed a drop in the number of people her age attending events at her masjid. Aside from offering religious services, masjids often function like a community center and are central to community-building events and support. On a mission to bring back her peers, Rodiyah started the Mumineen Youth Group.

Now 16 years old, she works with a team of 15 dedicated to empowering Nigerian Muslim youth in the area through social events, trips, educational conventions and more. Everything is designed to foster community, cultural pride and authentic self-expression. Over 200 people ages 13+ actively participate, and she’s helped raise $15,000 to fund activities and events.

The joy she finds in community is the same joy she brings to others with her work.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

I’ve always been active in my masjid. As I got older, there was less youth involvement, and I felt like our community was slipping in front of me. So, I banded together with some peers and started planning events to get people to start showing up again.

I got the sense of community-making from my mother. She also felt this shift of what was once a really large, blossoming community into something that just didn’t feel the same. She took the initiative to get the adults to come back, and I thought I could do the same with the children. I wanted to ensure my community stayed intact and had a safe place to go, where they didn’t feel different. The younger generation deserve to have that opportunity the same way I did.

We had our first event in September 2023, a beach cleanup in Galveston, and got enough positive feedback to encourage us to keep planning events. They may not actively be seeking it, but subconsciously, youth still want a community like this.

Tell us about your volunteer role with Mumineen Youth Group.

My role right now is event coordinator. Our day-to-day is really dependent on school. We focus on having activities and events during the breaks. We recently had a potluck, and we’re planning another trip. Because we’re bringing a larger group, we’ll have to notify places beforehand, buy tickets and book things. I make flyers and market events, do community outreach, create Google forms, decorate, fundraise and more.

We also plan an annual convention for around 200 people that requires a lot more work. I organize speakers, reach out to restaurants for catering, discuss the budget and create a schedule. Every day is different. I didn’t realize how much effort it takes to plan things, and I feel more appreciative of anything that I see planned now.

What kinds of educational programs and practical resources do you organize?

For our convention, we bring in guest lecturers, like Hakeem Olajuwon, the retired Rockets basketball player. He spoke about goal-making, staying true to yourself and so on. We also do college and career panels where we invite people with different careers–for example a representative from Deloitte–talk about how they got their job and students at top colleges give advice.

Our youth group elevates and helps market four or five different small businesses owned by youth. We use them as an example for other youth interested in entrepreneurship. And I offer guidance with college essays and extracurricular development by providing internship and networking opportunities.

What have been some of your favorite events?

My favorite events to plan are the end-of-year galas and the youth convention. It’s a lot of work to plan, but we have the most creative liberty. My favorite events to go to are our trips. We take college trips. We go to amusement parks and museums and such. They don’t take as much work to plan–still transportation and logistics for 60 to 100 people, though!

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

My personal goal for the convention is to bring in around 300 people, because I want to see if we’re able to accommodate that. We had our last one at a hall, but our goal is to make it a summer camp experience around four days at a campsite.

We’ll go hiking and do other outdoor activities. Lastly, I want to make sure that once I go to college, younger people who saw what we did for our age group want to continue it for their own.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

Seeing more young people continue to put their efforts into the community has been the most rewarding part. There was a time when I’d go to community events and see maybe three people my age. I grew up with over 30 who used to come to the masjid all the time. Now, going to those same events and seeing more people enjoy showing up, not even for a specific youth program but even to help out, is gratifying. I felt that slipping away. Knowing that I was able to bring it back is what keeps me going.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

We’re lacking “third spaces,” outside of home and the workplace, where people can just hang out and have a good time. People are focused on their phones and not living in the moment, building friendships or creating memories. Creating communities where people look forward to going is really important for maintaining our humanity. The most important reason to build a strong community is because you’ll have people who are looking out for you, and whom you’re looking out for as well.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

Young people need a community. They need places outside of school to feel supported and welcome. School can be isolating, especially if you don’t have a good support system, and finding a community where they feel welcome and supported, and where they’re not viewed as different, is something that should be prioritized across groups.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Rodiyah? Find local volunteer opportunities.