My Volunteer Story: Mek Abamba

Happy National Volunteer Week! We’re celebrating volunteers that bring heart to their communities with Volunteer Canada. Volunteer Week recognizes Canada’s millions of volunteers whose empathy, compassion, and generosity connect people to their communities, including the more than 80 Toronto Railway Museum volunteers.

At the Museum

Though much of their work takes place behind the scenes, museum volunteers’ efforts are essential to keeping TRM on track. A lot of in-person volunteer work was paused during temporary closures over the past year, however the option of working remotely opened up new opportunities for our volunteer team to grow. TRM volunteers connect visitors to Toronto’s railway past through all they do, whether it’s working on archival projects, advising on restoration work, or sitting on essential committees.

One of our new volunteers is Mek Abamba! Mek is a lawyer and an Osgoode Master of Laws graduate. Additionally, he holds the position of volunteer secretary on our Operations Committee. 

Hi Mek! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m an internationally trained lawyer and an Osgoode Master of Laws graduate. I love to work on policy directives, legal project management, contract administration, operational strategy, and corporate governance.

Previously, I was a volunteer at the Legal Aid Council. To accomplish the tasks assigned to that position, one requires top-level legal training. Other than law, I also love music, arts, history, artifacts, and culture. I guess this is what potentially keeps me interested in TRM and the TRHA.

Why do you volunteer at the Toronto Railway Museum?

Seems like I just answered this question in the above paragraph! Ha ha…! Anyway, overall, any creative vision that potentially tries to shape the future, is what inspires me.

How did you first hear about volunteering at TRM? How did you get involved?

A very good friend – a Ph.D. research fellow at a University in Ottawa informed me of the Volunteer Committee Secretary position at TRM. In her words, “there’s an opening that require your skills, why don’t you apply to it?” I did, and what followed was an acknowledgment email, an invitation, and a formal interview. There was a second interview, and after a few days, I was offered this position.

We appreciate everything you do, Mek! In conclusion, thank you for following along this National Volunteer Week. Join us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more peeks behind the scenes and to see what our volunteers are up to. Meet more of our team on the blog, including volunteer Carly W.’s story and Doug M.’s story!