A State of Fearlessness - Malaika DosRemedios by Emily Cummings

BURLINGTON, VT - "Inspiration is all around you, and in every moment that you stand," says Malaika DosRemedios as she sips her iced coffee and shifts her dark eyes out the window onto Burlington, Vermont's famous Church Street. DosRemedios works as the Case Manager for the Skills for Life Program (SLP), a program federally funded and provided through the Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) that helps individuals and families living in BHA's public housing developments. An alumnus of the University of Vermont (UVM) with a degree in social work, the 25 year old has helped shape the program to become what it is today. DosRemedios has been working with the SLP since its initiation over three years ago.

“I remember looking around when I first came to the community I would be working with and seeing no grass,” recalls DosRemedios. The children of the community were playing soccer on dirt patches and hard concrete. “I decided the first thing I was going to do was start a soccer team for the community,” she says.

With the help of Gary Rodgers, director of Burlington Parks and Recreations, scholarship money was raised and donated to the children. “It’s so important for the community,” says DosRemedios. With the help of Rodgers and others’ donations, DosRemedios was able to provide the children with uniforms, equipment, and even buses to transport the team to a real soccer field for practice and games. Currently the team is undefeated. “It’s really great and it has helped me build a bond with the people of the community,” says DosRemedios. “The parents see what I’m doing for their kids and they think, ‘hmm, what else is Malaika doing?’ and they are more open to trying new things like the Skills for Life Program,” she says.

Malaika DosRemedios has an interesting skill-set. Having spent time studying at the School for International Training (SIT) abroad in East Africa, DosRemedios was able learn to speak some Swahili, as well as have the chance to study some Islam. “We are unique in Burlington in that we have a large population of people who come from Africa. I think it is scary for them when they are trying to start out. Just going to a job interview or even filing out an application can be difficult,” DosRemedios explains. “I think the fact that I speak a little bit of Swahili is comforting to them. They feel less alone,” says DosRemedios.

The trip to East Africa was inspired by her father who passed away when she was only ten years old. "My father is originally from Goa, India and had moved to Zanzibar in Tanzania," DosRemedios explains. "Eventually, to escape the political persecution that was going on in the region, he moved to Vermont. I remember growing up and smelling the foods of India and Africa on the table. Because of that connection with my father, I was inspired to go when I was older. I wanted to learn the language. It was a really great experience. I want to go back," says DosRemedios.

Prior to her trip to East Africa, which she took in the spring of her junior year at UVM, DosRemedios was growing up in Warwick, RI. She knew she wanted to help people in some way, but entered UVM as an undecided freshman. "I wanted to narrow my focus from 'helping people' to something more specific," she says. "At one point I thought I wanted to be a nurse; but then I realized that I wanted to be building relationships with people. I am a social person and I wanted it be more about connecting with people."

Dos Remedios began thinking back to high school and was inspired by one of her counselors there. "She shaped so much of me," she says. "She really helped me my senior year and I wanted to be able to do that for someone else."

After settling into her degree in social work, DosRemedios did her field placement at the Howard Center working with Developmentally Disabled (DD) adults. Her job included home visits where she would help individuals with goal setting and building life skills. Today, as the Case Manager for the Skills for Life Program, she builds off this experience helping individuals and families visualize themselves out in the world accomplishing their goals for life.

Once graduated, DosRemedios returned to the Howard Center for a year. This time, she worked in the Children and Family Division as a Behavioral Interventionist. She began working at BHA in July of 2007. But, DosRemedios is about to switch it up again. "The federal grant for the Skills for Life Program was only for three years," she explains. This means, by July, she could be out of a job. That doesn't slow her down though; she says it's another opportunity.

In three weeks, for example, DosRemedios, an avid marathoner, will be running The Great Wall. Yes, from May 7 -17, she will be in China where she will take part in a 26.2 mile marathon on and around the Great Wall of China. The actual race takes place on May 14. "I can't wait," she says. The trip was inspired by a man she met who told her he had, "just ran The Great Wall." Immediately, DosRemedios was eager to find out more. One year later, she's ready to run it herself. When she returns, DosRemedios will then participate in the Burlington City Marathon.

"It's like something else helps you," DosRemedios says, trying to explain how she is able to run so many miles. "It's really about getting rid of 'I can't,'" she says. For DosRemedios, this isn't just something she tells herself to run 26 miles, she also lives it. In her spare time, between helping and inspiring community members through her work and running marathons, she also teaches yoga at Burlington-Yoga.

"It's all about looking within," says DosRemedios. She takes that idea, and then reaches outside herself. "I don't think about it like, 'oh I have to run 26 miles,'" she says. "Instead, I think, 'this is one step.' I just take it one step at a time and then I look back and see what I've overcome. You literally feel like you can do anything."

Malaika DosRemedios is also currently working on getting her personal training certificate. "For me it's not about that number on the scale, or getting to that perfect size. It's about feeling good about yourself. When you feel good, you look good," she says.

DosRemedios believes in "working on a state of fearlessness." This mantra "fearlessness" is actually tattooed on her left wrist to prove it. Last year, during a time when she was feeling less than fearless, she decided to try skydiving. "I just thought, 'I wanna do that,' so I did," she says. "Why not, right?"

"I'm really grateful for the people throughout my life who believe in me," she says. "I'm so grateful to have these people in my life who've inspired me because without these people I wouldn't be here." DosRemedios accredits a lot of her accomplishments and her confidence to look within to her family, especially her "Nanna." But it's also her innate ability to be open to experiences. “A very wise person in my life said to me, 'you only get one life; be true to yourself,' and that's how I try to live."