FAYOLA K J FRASER
At only 20 years old, self-described “normal Gen Z” Maya Kirti Nanan has already done years of extraordinary work. With her recent accolade as the 2023 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year a fitting tribute for her dedication to people on the Autism spectrum, Nanan is a young woman undoubtedly deserving of celebration. She is the founder and one of the directors of the Autism Siblings and Friends Network (ASFN), a non-profit organisation focused on advocacy for and support of people with Autism.
Inspired by her younger brother, Rahul, Nanan knew from an early age quickly after his diagnosis that there would be certain limitations put on him. One year older than him, she felt strongly that she was charged to do her utmost to ensure as much normalcy for him as she could. Simply put, she says affectionately, “I just wanted him to also be involved in all the things I did, and for us to do things together.”
Nanan grew up in south Trinidad, Claxton Bay, attending Montrose Vedic Primary School and San Fernando Central Secondary School, before going on to study at the University of The West Indies Open Campus. She intends to pursue a BSc in psychology or social work. Many young people seek purpose after the course of their academic studies, but Nanan has had the rare fortune to find her calling first, and then subsequently align her tertiary academic pursuits to support her work.
“I have been using my voice since I was 12 years old,” Nanan remembers, “speaking out for my brother who is non-verbal”. Armed with the courage and compassion of a much older spirit, Nanan confidently built the ASFN before her teenage years, as an offshoot and a youth arm of her aunt Dr Radica Mahase’s “Autism TT”.
Since ASFN’s founding, the organisation has made a significant impact in T&T, creating inclusive opportunities for young people with autism and combating the stigma surrounding autism in T&T. With grant support from the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust in 2022, ASFN has created “Rahul’s Clubhouse”, an autism-friendly space located in Marabella for people on the autism spectrum to engage in and access various educational and social programmes. The clubhouse has successfully trained over 350 volunteers to work with autistic people, developed a Form Six programme for autistic students to further their education, supported the training of special needs teachers, and provided a support and counselling network for parents and families.
“Sometimes young people are looked down on,” Nanan ruminates, highly cognisant it can present a barrier to her progress. Even with her acute determination to ensure her organisation, as the only one of its kind, continues to shine, she has to face a variety of challenges.
The stifling of youth’s voices in T&T is a major issue but does not faze Nanan. “I just have to continue doing what I do,” she says, “because at the end of the day, I know the value of my work”. Seeing the many lives her work has touched, especially the life of her brother, she is deeply rooted and endlessly driven by her purpose. Another major challenge is financial support for the organisation, as they have not received any funding from the Government or major corporations. In 2022, however, AFSN was shortlisted for a National Youth Award by the Ministry of Youth Development & National Service, which honoured 25 young people, brightly illuminating the future path of T&T.
Her heart’s dream is to secure consistent, steady streams of funding for Rahul’s Clubhouse, and to make it the premier centre for autism in the Caribbean, a cornerstone of excellence and best practice that other organisations in the Caribbean can be modelled on. However, Nanan’s motivations are always interwoven with her dreams for her brother, “I just want to know that he has access to everything he needs,” she says, her tender, devoted sisterly love a common thread in all her efforts.
The programmes offered at the clubhouse are “the only hope” for many young people with autism, who are very often discarded by society and marginalised by the traditional education system. The AFSN plans to move into a bigger space and offer more programmes and more scholarships for autistic people from lower-income groups so that people who need their support have access to it.
Although she has achieved such a great deal at such a young age, Nanan’s humble and unassuming demeanour endears people to her. She stressed that only through unwavering teamwork her achievements have been possible. In conversation about the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year Award, she endlessly praised her team. “I am honoured that my advocacy is recognised at an international level,” she says proudly, and “I am really proud of our NGO and all the volunteers who have worked to get the NGO to this point.” The Commonwealth Youth Award with approximately 1,000 entries from 39 Commonwealth countries, are subjected to rigorous judging and stiff competition. Receiving her prestigious award from HRH Prince Edward and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, KC, Nanan described her shock, and the moment as “absolutely surreal”.
An advocate, a disrupter of the order and an inspiration to many young women, Maya Kirti Nanan is the exemplification of a Woman to Watch, having been selected among the 23 by Guadian Media’s WE magazine. Many believe that only the advanced in age have wisdom to share, but Nanan’s sage advice to other young women to “dream big”, and “never underestimate your potential to change the world you live in” rings true. She encouraged women to use the resources they have, whether big or small, to help others and effect change. A brave and bold yet gentle spirit, Nanan continues to commit her life’s work to making safe spaces for others, unapologetically advocating for the voiceless, and creating incredible change in the lives of many.
