Yusuf Talia, despite his challenges with Muscular Dystrophy  was truly an inspiration to all that knew him.  He was the President of the MSA Union, vice president of the Wits SRC. He was also very active with the Free Palestine campaign. In his time at university he studied a science degree and a accounting degree. Truly a legend.

 

Activist Yusuf Talia dies after battle with muscular dystrophy

 

Yusuf Talia, well-known activist and one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans for 2013, died on Monday morning. Talia suffered from Duchenne muscular dystrophy – an illness which causes muscular degeneration.

Wheelchair-bound since the age of 10, Talia was in the process of obtaining his third degree from Wits University, and was a prominent activist.

“Talia set himself the goal of invigorating young people and proving that they are all capable of attaining their goals if they maintain their passion and determination,” The M&G reported last year. Aged 24 at the time, he had attained a Bachelor of Accounting Science degree.

“In the first year of his second degree … one of his lungs collapsed and he spent 42 days in intensive care. After recovering, Talia steeled himself for the task of catching up with his studies and is now in his final year,” read the report.

Activism
Talia was a member of the Disabled Students Movement, the head of mentorship at Redineo – an organisation which mentors underprivileged children – and the deputy president of the Wits Student Representative Council (SRC) in 2010. He represented student interests on the Higher Education Disability Service Association and was also the president of the Union of Muslim Students’ Association of South Africa.

Zaida Gangat, a friend of Talia’s who interviewed him for the Wits Vuvuzela in 2009, described him as an “incredible person”. She said Talia’s wheelchair was a common feature on campus, “always on the go, zipping to meetings or demonstrations”. Her feature was playfully headlined, “Breaking the speed limit”. Talia was able to laugh at the title.

“It was a playful take on his boundless energy,” she said. “I was blown away by his spirit and even when he wasn’t well he was committed to activism, and he campaigned regularly on campus. I was inspired by what he had achieved, even though he was so young. If I could touch a fraction of the people that he touched, I would consider myself lucky.”

‘Heart-shattering’
In a recent interview, Talia described his parents as his support system. At the time, his condition had deteriorated to the point where he was totally dependent on assisted care. He had recently had a tracheotomy.

“My family is my support system without whom I won’t be able to function. My dad, mum and my brother are my primary caregivers. They are assisted by our domestic worker. This is my “A” team … It is important for me that my personal time includes staying connected to my family and friends. I love interacting with people and would hate to ever be isolated as a result of my condition,” Talia said.

Gangat said Talia was also a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Source: Mail and Guardian

About Yusuf Talia from Mail and Guardians top 200 South Africans 2013

Yusuf Talia has set himself the goal of invigorating young people and proving that they are all capable of attaining their goals if they maintain their passion and determination. Diagnosed at an early age with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Talia has been wheelchair-bound since he was 10. Now 24, he has a Bachelor of Accounting Science degree. In the first year of his second degree, a BSc at the University of the Witwatersrand, one of his lungs collapsed and he spent 42 days in intensive care. After recovering, Talia steeled himself for the task of catching up with his studies and is now in his final year. Fascinated with physiology, he dreams of becoming a medical doctor. Guided by the words of Umar Ibn Al Khattab, Talia believes that: “If something is meant to go elsewhere, it will never come your way, but if it is yours by destiny, from it you cannot flee.” In pursuit of this destiny he contributes to a number of bodies on campus and in the Muslim community, with the aim of creating a world in which all our differences are understood and able to find expression. As a member of the Disabled Students Movement Talia organised the first disability awareness concert in the Muslim community, in 2009. He has represented student interests on the Higher Education Disability Service Association for the past two years. As president of the Union of Muslim Students’ Association of South Africa, Talia does not only focus on issues of disability. He is also the head of mentorship at Redineo, an organisation that steers the educational development of underprivileged children. “Every individual has something of value that must be nurtured and channelled to make a difference to those around them, creating a ripple effect that benefits all of humanity,” he explains. — Taryn Mackay

 

source: Yusuf Talia

 MDSA Interview – A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Yusuf Talia

 

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