A Muslim student who is helping educate poor Christian and Muslim children in Mindanao has been chosen to be one of the country’s representatives in the 4th Community Development and Leadership Summit in New Delhi, India.

Arizza Ann Sahi Nocum, a third-year Muslim student in the Philippine Science High School (PSHS), will join colleagues Carlos Chanyungco, Gabriel Se, and Julia Negre in the Nov. 7-15 summit which has the theme: “Creating National Wealth for International Well-Being.”

Apart from her academic credentials, Nocum, 15 has been chosen for her role in the establishment and operation of the A-Book-Saya Group (ABSG) book-donation and literacy project, which aims to teach poor Mindanao kids that there is a better future in education than rebellion and terrorism.

Nocum is actively involved in the task of soliciting and distributing books; and had as well catalogued thousands of book titles in the Kristiano-Islam (Kris) Peace Library which the ABSG put up in a kidnapping-prone Christian-Muslim community in Zamboanga City.

The PhiSci junior also helped give free basic computer lessons to about 200 scholars of ABSG which was put up by her Christian-Muslim parents Armand and Annora Sahi Nocum, a former Inquirer reporter and entrepreneur, respectively.

“Seeing the poverty and the warfare in Mindanao has made me realize that, more than ever, we are in need of economic progress. How this can be done, and how we can promote international harmony through it, is central in the coming discussions during the Summit,” said Nocum, who was born in Kuwait.

Nocum said the summit aims to instil “leadership qualities and a sense of social responsibility towards the community amongst the youth” and to “help evolve a society of young adults with big dreams for their community and country.”

The summit will see the gathering of youth leaders from China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, Ukraine, and USA.

At PhiSci, Arizza serves as an official of the student council, head of a social science club that is vocal about its views on the political situation in the county; and captain of the PSHS women’s football club.