By day, he is a digital marketing consultant; by night and over the weekend, Sunny Taj from Houston is a civil society engineer. “Sunny has served in various capacities, from being the regional marketing lead for the Aga Khan Foundation to raising funds for the Nepalese earthquake relief efforts. However, his most recent effort for the water crisis in Flint may have been his most challenging, yet most satisfying act of civic service to date.
Flint, Michigan is about 70 miles north of Detroit, where 42 percent of the population of 100,000 people live under the poverty line. Due to financial issues, the people of Flint have been forced to use a contaminated water source for a few years, resulting in major health issues in children, such as impaired cognition, behavioral disorders, hearing problems and delayed puberty.
After Flint declared a state of emergency, Sunny began to wonder about the people of Flint. One day, he found himself looking through a glass of murky water while at a restaurant. That afternoon, he walked into his boss’ office to ask for a few days off — he was going on a road trip!
With help from his network in social media and supporters who donated water bottles, Sunny drove 1,600 miles across the country, three times, to deliver 500,000 water bottles to the people of Flint. It wasn’t easy, as the trips provided several weather challenges, and going door-to-door in a new city can be a daunting task, but his partners — Faisal Halani, Rupak Raunier, and Ahmad Bhimani — kept him sane. Each partner accompanied him on one of the three trips. To see the impact of his trips, check out, “Chronicles of Flint” on YouTube.
Sunny did not let predefined methods of service pave his way. He embraced the power of social media, chose an unconventional method —road trips and door-to-door delivery, and captured chronicles of his trips to raise further awareness and get others involved. He shares the following advice for those wanting to take action for their cause:
• “If you know someone who has figured out how to solve it, collaborate with them.”
• “Get your hands dirty; no work is too big or too small.”
• “If you go in with expectations, try to compete with others, or hope for attention, you are doing it for all the wrong reasons.”
While Sunny is now known as Houston’s Water Boy, he cannot pinpoint exactly why he did it, but is inspired by Mawlana Hazar Imam’s comment that civil societies are “the most powerful forces in our time.” There is no better example of civil society at work than Sunny’s, and the many supporters whom he has inspired along the way.
