Meet Our Team

Meet the Art and Wilderness Institute Green Team behind the Green Masjid Initiative

Suhana Shereef

Green Masjid Initiative Manager

Suhana is a mother of 2 amazing little people and being a part of the AWI community has opened up a whole new world of outdoor learning experiences for their family. These experiences have led them to slowly start making changes in their daily lives and strive to be more mindful of doing their part to help take care of the environment. Suhana is a homebody and loves to spend her free time at home enjoying a cup of tea and a good book. She also loves making handmade gifts for friends and family. She is grateful to have the opportunity to learn and grow alongside her kids as they continue their learning explorations.

Qanita Mohiuddin

Green Team Taskforce Member
​& Awi Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Qanita Mohiuddin is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at AWI. She holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential as well as a Masters in Teacher Education from UC Irvine. She is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Management with an emphasis on equity, inclusion, and social justice in educational systems. Qanita homeschools her six children and also serves as the Director of Education and Enrichment for CORE Academy. She loves exploring trails with her children and facilitates hikes and enrichment programs at AWI for students from refugee families.

Amina Mustafa

Creative Project Advisor

Amina Mustafa is veteran hiker with Art and Wilderness Institute. She loves sisterhood and getting to know everyone. You would find her volunteering, working, playing, crafting, or reading with children. Learning new ways to teach and parent is very important to her. Nowadays, she's hitting the trails with her 4 children learning about plantlife and wildlife. Amina is a homeschool mom of 6 years. She loves everything art from sketching, painting, illustrations, animation and photography.

Hossai Amir

REGIONAL MANAGER FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY

Hossai Amir works in the dental field. By nature she is passionate about the environment and environmental justice causes. She is a mother of 3 kids who also takes part in school green teams. Hossai considers herself blessed to have been working with highly motivated and God loving individuals. She has volunteered with different masjids, interfaith groups, churches, and nonprofits to serve the underserved. She thinks the earth with all its natural habitats is a sacred trust from God that needs to be preserved and protected.

Amy Hossain

Zero Waste & Permaculture Advisor

Here in the big city and sprawling suburbs, we are becoming increasingly more distant from a life harmoniously intertwined with nature and natural systems. Taking small steps over the years, Amy has been trying to shorten this distance by learning about and implementing a more life-friendly culture at home and wherever she is able. Learning from earth-interdependent cultures is a vital step in reviving these practices.

Maira Mohiuddin

Social Media Coordinator & Content Creator

Maira is a new and enthusiastic member of AWI. She is a mom of 2 toddlers, and is expecting her 3rd child. She currently works as a pediatric pharmacist in a hospital setting. She has long enjoyed going on hikes and exploring nature, and AWI sparked a new-found passion within her to learn more about the beauty surrounding her. As a child, her mother taught her the importance of recycling and reducing waste. As an adult, she always wished to play a role in inspiring change in the community to adopt an eco-friendly attitude. When AWI provided that opportunity, she was sure to jump on it! In her downtime, she operates a home-baked macaron and cookie business, experiments with new cooking and baking recipes, enjoys reading novels, and spending time with her family and friends.

Alia Dada

AWI Green Team Religious Advisor

Alia is a mom of 3. She has a degree in Islamic Law from the University of Al Azhar, Cairo. She inspires to revive the connection between Islam and the environment by working with AWI and through her published children’s Islamic book Environmental Sunnahs.

Aminah Khan

Green Team Taskforce Member &
​Permaculture/ Green Living Resource Instructor

Amina Khan is a market research analyst and holds a Business Degree in Marketing and a certificate in Human Resource Management. She has also studied overseas in Jordan, Syria and Egypt. She grew up in Canada and is married with 2 lovely children who love nature, and protecting the environment. In fact, it was her son who wanted the family to go styrofoam free at an early age. Her family loves the outdoors by exploring trails and hikes. She has been a Girl Scout leader for 6 years. Her love for traveling has taken her to many countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. She is happy to assist the Art and Wilderness Institute in creating a lasting change in the community by promoting the environment.

Raneem Iftekhar

Social Media Coordinator

Raneem is a college student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy. She has been a long time member of AWI as a student, volunteer and instructor. Throughout her experiences volunteering with local environmental centers, AWI and CAIR LA , she has discovered a passion for the connection between our local communities, sociology and environmental protection. Raneem’s interests include art, handmade bookbinding and being out in nature , all things she brings to teaching and assisting with AWI classes

Fiona Motala

Presentation Coordinator & Public Relations Coordinator

Fiona Motala is a culinary and design enthusiast. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and immigrated to California 21 years ago where she now resides with her husband and three kids. Being African is in her blood, she grew up in nature, and exploration and outdoor adventure is a huge part of who she is. She is a debate coach and loves traveling and hiking. She is a new leader for the Inland Empire Outdoor Woman’s Club. She can’t wait to learn and grow with her community.

Zara Nawab

Research Specialist

Zara is a mother of 3 growing leaders who enjoy caring for life, engineering creations, and motivating others. She has a Masters degree in business finance and seeks to broaden her horizons at every opportunity. If the future is ours to make, we would be well-served to heed lessons from those before us. May we all seek to be empathetic, logical and credible as we guide each other, respected organizations, and cherished students into an exciting wealth of expanding knowledge.

JOIN THE TEAM!

Joining our Women's Green Team takes dedication and commitment. IT takes knowing that you will be in it for the long haul. You don't have to know anything about the environment to join, you just have to be ready and willing to take on projects, tasks and assignments and get ready to educate yourself even more.

Projects and assignments will be dealing with Greening up Masjids, from helping to kickstart and implement Zero-Waste Initiatives to helping to apply for grants, organizing planting days, and helping to empower students with service-learning projects that pertain to Green up the Masjid Campaign. 

Joining the team also means helping to volunteer at booths that educate our community on why its so important to have a stewardship model. 

STEP 1- fill out the form below
STEP 2- You will receive a phone call from our project manager.
STEP 3- Upon screening, you will be added to a wattsap group with further instructions.