Member Spotlight: Hira Wahaj on how AWCP colors its members' cultural experiences

Since its founding, the American Women’s Club of the Philippines has existed as a welcoming social environment for women while also being committed to exposing its members to and making meaningful contributions to the local culture.

Hira Wahaj, outgoing AWCP Secretary

Over time, our membership has only become more diverse with women from unique cultural backgrounds, occupations, as well as talents and skillsets. This week, I sat down with departing member and outgoing secretary Hira Wahaj to talk about the beautiful artwork she was able to put up in the AWCP office, and also to reflect on her experience in the club and how it has shaped her time in the Philippines.

ALEX GO: Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me today, I really appreciate it!

HIRA WAHAJ: Of course, it’s no problem at all.

GO: I wanted to start off by talking about your art. I know that you’re an amazing artist and recently added an amazing painting into the AWCP office, could you explain your inspiration and the meaning of the piece?

Hira's artwork in the AWCP office.

WAHAJ: The whole point was to have two paintings combining into one to represent the “meeting” of Filipino and American connections– two but one, which mirrors what AWCP does to bridge cultures and foster community. I used red, blue, yellow, and white to represent the Filipino and American flags, and the gold elements represent movement and dynamic nature of AWCP as a community organizer, with the splatters also symbolizing how we are spreading our impact in Manila and abroad. This painting is how I see AWCP– it connects people together, but also gives back and has a widening impact.

GO: I can’t wait to go to the office now and see your painting there, I’m sure it’s added a lot of color and personality to the space! What would you say are your typical inspirations with your art? Do you get inspired by personal experiences, other artists, specific, styles, etc.?

WAHAJ: I admire artists, but I don’t think I can call myself one– though I’ve always been into art since I was young, joining art competitions, doodling, painting… I just like to create. When I start to add colors to any canvas, I tap into my emotional self and get inspirations from within. I lack  the patience to work on an art for days like other people do, but I definitely lose track of time  when I’m painting because I tend to just let my feelings go and have the design flow on its own. I also don’t tend to paint people, but I think I like capturing feelings since art is definitely something very emotional for me. I definitely think most people feel better after doing an art activity. I have recently developed a strong interest in art therapy, i think it’s a powerful took to share with others and bring some healing and joy into lives.

GO: Speaking about how art is very emotional and cathartic for you, I also know that you did some art workshops with the kids at Friendship Home in the past. Can you talk a bit more about what that was like?

WAHAJ: For the first workshop, we did it with elementary kids- they traced the shape of their hands on piece of paper and then drew inside the outline to represent who they are. After that, we moved onto making friendship bands. For the second one, we did tote bag painting with a bit of an older group. 

Younger group of children at Friendship Home tracing their hand outlines.

Tote bag decoration with older group of children at Friendship Home.

WAHAJ: I always start my workshops with a meditation and make sure we are in dim lighting to set the mood. It’s not a very talkative class, I tell the kids to just follow their feelings and create what they want. They get super creative and are also very happy when they get to take home what they made. Denise, and I were able to bring  our own kids to pitch in for the workshop as well, and I think involving them in community service was a good experience for our kids and let me lead by example. At the end of the day, it’s not about you, it’s your community.

GO: That’s a very powerful message and it sounds like you have a lot of memorable moments with AWCP. I do know that you’re leaving the Philippines soon, so I’d like to shift the topic over a bit to reflecting on your time at AWCP. Could you talk a bit about how you got into AWCP?

WAHAJ: Sure. As a family, we’ve moved a lot and lived in different countries with two little kids, but after we came to Manila, I found myself with a bit more free time than before with my not-so-little kids. It felt like there was something else I could do while I was here– and I knew that Philippines could use some community work. I had no idea what AWCP was at the time, an embassy acquaintance mentioned it to me and said that there’s a coffee meet up happening and that I should go. In our family, we say 'Harkat mein barkat,' which means 'There is blessing in movement.' It reflects the belief that taking action—whether big or small—brings growth, opportunities, and positive outcomes. So I walked to the building next door, met a few people and signed up for a vacant position for the Secretary there and then. In an instant, I was in.

GO: Growing up in kind of an “expat” family myself, I know there is definitely an expat “bubble” that you can get stuck in that makes your experience in different countries kind of similar across the board… how would you say your time in the Philippines differed from other countries, and what role did AWCP play in that?

WAHAJ: I think it’s definitely because of AWCP that my time here has been unique and very meaningful. I’ve always lived in a bubble in every other country, but AWCP brought me out of that bubble, and I got to experience a lot of the local culture, going to places I never would’ve gone otherwise, meeting organizations doing powerful work with limited resources, and sharing future goals that they might have for their institute. I am grateful that I was able to give part of my time and how it helped me to grow and learn about my host country. … it definitely showed me that outside of our bubble, there is so much we can do. 

GO: If there was someone like you before, who didn’t know anything about the club but was looking for a similar experience, how would you introduce AWCP to them? In other words, what is AWCP to you and what does it represent?

WAHAJ: You’d think that this is just another social club, or the “American bazaar group," or a bunch of women meeting up for coffees, or lunches or exploring Manila doing fun things. But it’s more than that– I would say it’s a community of amazing women who are willing to give their time, energy, efforts, and knowledge, to just do amazing things. Everybody in the club has their own strengths and weaknesses, and at the same time, everyone is out there watching out for each other. I would say it’s amazing how people come together and donate time, resources, and money [to charitable causes]-- it’s my first experience doing and being a part of something like that. I’d say, if you are looking for some action in your life and have some time, join AWCP! You’d be surprised! There’s something for everyone in it. If you’re into knitting, reading, exploring, giving, learning… AWCP is a beautiful way to connect more deeply with the Philippines, with others, and with yourself.

GO: I think that’s a pretty great summary of what AWCP is and what we do. I would probably say something similar! I want to know a little bit more about some specific moments during your time in AWCP, maybe share some of your fondest memories in the club?

WAHAJ: I’ve got so many to be honest… let me think. One of them was definitely the art workshops at Friendship Home, which we talked about earlier. There was an empty wall in the space where I painted a tree trunk and branches, and all the kids put their hand outline artworks as leaves to create a tree of life. It’s still there today, and that is definitely one of my special memories with AWCP. 

The tree of life at Friendship Home.

GO: That does sound super powerful. Seeing as you were secretary and probably had to handle a lot of different tasks and responsibilities, what are some of your proudest moments with AWCP?

WAHAJ: See, even though we have dedicated roles in this club, anyone can step up and do more as they please. It’s been very rewarding doing things like volunteering at the bazaar from five in the morning to the late afternoon, personally packing hygiene bags for our charity partners, cleaning the cabinets in the office by hand (hehehe). Out of everything, though, my proudest moment was probably when I hosted a sari and henna party at my place as a fundraiser for refugees coming to the Philippines. It wasn’t anything very grand, it was just a get together, but through that event, we were able to raise P22,000 to buy mattresses for refugees who essentially had nothing coming here. I was definitely very proud of the impact we were able to make, and we had fun doing it too!

Hira doing henna for one of our members at the fundraiser.

Our lovely ladies learning how to wear sari at the fundraiser.

GO: That’s amazing, I wish I had joined earlier so I could’ve gone! 

WAHAJ: It definitely was a lot of fun, and for a great cause as well.

GO: What would you say you’re most grateful to AWCP for, or your greatest learning from AWCP?

WAHAJ: Like I said earlier, AWCP brought me out of my bubble. I have grown a lot, personally too. It has not only taught me some useful professional skills with Google Drive and Docs, but also how meaningful it is to connect deeply with your local community. Jokes aside– as a person, I learned to look beyond me, myself and my circle. Through AWCP, I saw that whether it was organizing events, sharing your creative ideas, or simply showing up to help out, having that sense of purpose and belonging is the most important. AWCP reminds me that even small acts of kindness can create lasting impacts. AWCP is special to me for another reason– it helped my daughter Leena to launch her own project donating milk to those in need, which is something that she would always remember. I’d like to give a special shoutout to our community service chair, Dr. Lynn Butler, for directing Leena’s thinking to nutrition and giving her the chance to pursue her project and get that experience. I mean, until now Leena still thinks about doing something greater than herself, all because of AWCP. 

GO: To wrap up, what do you hope for AWCP in the future or what do you wish to see it become? 

WAHAJ: I think it’s already doing wonders, ever since I joined. I’m very happy to have seen it grow since, too. If there’s one thing I could hope for the club, it would honestly be for AWCP to be known by more people.

GO: I hope the same too. Any closing remarks or anything that we haven’t covered yet that you wanted to mention?

WAHAJ: There is this saying that I think about a lot: the sun doesn’t shine just for itself. The river doesn’t flow just for itself, and the tree doesn’t give fruit just for itself. Giving back to others and your community is a rule of nature. I haven’t done as much as some other people around me, but what little I have given to AWCP, I will always cherish. I’ll forever be grateful to the people I worked with, met with, and spent time with. I will miss AWCP!

GO: That’s a beautiful saying. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me today!

WAHAJ: Thank you as well, I enjoyed it.

Hira’s journey is an inspiring one that gives insight to how AWCP has shaped the experiences of its members while they make sense of life in a foreign country. It also serves as a starting point and gateway for women to make meaningful impact on both their immediate and wider communities. We are so thankful to Hira for all her efforts and contributions to the club and community, and will miss her very dearly!