Community Highlights: Meet Nadia Khan of The Light House Project

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nadia Khan.

Hi Nadia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The Light House Project was created in response to the tragic murder of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu Salha in February of 2015 in Chapel Hill. They were killed in a hate crime due to the fact that they were openly and visibly Muslim.

Instead of responding with hate and darkness, the Muslim community responded with light. Deah’s brother, Farris Barakat, founded the organization the Light House Project to be a space where Muslim youth can feel safe and welcome and to continue the work of the three victims of the Chapel Hill shooting. I got involved with the Light House Project as a board member in 2018 and have now taken on the role of Executive Director.

My background is in Nonprofit Management. I have an MPA from the University of Georgia. I’ve worked in various nonprofits over the years, but my passion has always been to serve the Muslim community and to shine a light on the important role Muslims play in American society.

I hope to use my position in the Light House Project to help our youth take on roles in service within and outside of the Muslim community, as Deah, Yusor, and Razan had done in their short lives.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a hijab-wearing Muslim can have its challenges in that people immediately can stereotype what kind of person I am and what my beliefs are.

But thankfully in my experience, I’ve let my work and my own actions help change people’s views on what it means to be a Muslim woman. A Muslim woman can often be underestimated in terms of what she can bring to the table, but in my experience, I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by people who have always been supportive of me and my goals.

In terms of the Light House Project, recovering from the brief hiatus that the organization took during the (ongoing) pandemic has had its challenges. Getting youth and donors excited about our projects has taken on a new shape in pandemic life. A new generation of youth has come of age in the last two years that are having to be reintroduced to who we are and what we do.

But I’m facing the challenge head-on and enjoying the journey!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Light House Projects empowers the youth by allowing them to take ownership of projects and programs they are passionate about. How do we do this? We offer fiscal sponsorships to individuals or groups who want to take on a specific issue to create what we call an incubator program.

This setup allows young Muslims to focus on their creativity and pursue their passion without the hassle of establishing their own tax-deductible nonprofit because they are housed under the Light House Project. In this way, the Light House Project is able to expand its services and programs while accomplishing our mission of empowering the Triangle Muslim youth.

Any big plans?
We have recently moved locations from Raleigh to Cary, so that has been a big change for us. Again, we are reintroducing the new location and the organization to a new generation of youth. In the next couple of years, my goal is to expand the programs we offer to the community and hopefully hire more staff as we expand.

Our five-year plan is to replicate the model of the Light House Project in other cities.

Contact Info:

• Email: contact@lhproj.com
• Website: lhproj.com
• Instagram: @lhproj
• Facebook: @lhproj
• Twitter: @lhproj