LOCAL HERO: Penticton teen goes above and beyond for the community

PENTICTON – What might look like a hectic day for the average person is just another day in the life of 15-year-old Donna Mbamy-Conci.

“I play grade eight piano, grade eight violin, I’m an air cadet,” says Conci.

Those are just a few of the extra-curricular activities the Penticton teen takes on. However, she says what really drives her is her passion for giving back to her community and that’s what she spends much of her time doing.

Conci is the youngest member of the Okanagan Valley Music Makers, volunteering to play at seniors homes for free.

“A couple years ago or so she asked if she could play with us and she didn’t know for sure because she was only 11 and you should see her pick up the fiddle, she has been playing with it for about three years,” says Herbert Weseley Sutton, a member of the Okanagan Valley Music Makers.

Conci says she enjoys spending time with seniors.

“They’re so wise and they’ve done so much for us, they deserve so much respect,” she says. “Often they are neglected or left alone and just saying hello or giving them a hug really just changes their day.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They're so wise and they've done so much for us, they deserve so much respect," she says. "Often they are neglected or left alone and just saying hello or giving them a hug really just changes their day."

Conci also volunteers at Penticton Regional Hospital and she helps many seniors stay active by teaching them Zumba at their care homes.

She doesn’t stop there, Conci is certified to teach Zumba to people of all ages, which she does at South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services (SOICS).

“She comes here and she does Zumba classes for us once every couple of weeks and we were wanting to pay her and she said no, I’m going to do it for free,” says Angelika Eneas, Community Connections Coordinator at SOICS.

Conci’s mother says her daughter has always been a go-getter.

“I think she is special forsure,” says her mother, Joelle Mbamy. “She wants to give back to the community.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think she is special forsure," says her mother, Joelle Mbamy. "She wants to give back to the community."

The teenager has always been home-schooled.

“When I was three I went into kindergarten,” says Conci. “I did grade five and six in one year and I was about four years ahead.”

But that’s when her whole life changed.

“When I turned 11, the summer in June, my father passed away suddenly and it hit me really hard,” says Conci. “That’s when I also began to slow down in school.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When I turned 11, the summer in June, my father passed away suddenly and it hit me really hard," says Conci. "That's when I also began to slow down in school."

However, she managed to turn that adversity that filled her life, into opportunity.

“There’s more than just sadness and you know you need to move forward in life and my dad would not want me to be sad,” says Conci.

She says her dad would want her to make a positive impact in her community. So, that’s what she is dedicated to doing both through her volunteer work and though the pharmacy she and her mom opened.

“At one point, Donna told me ‘mom, let’s open up a store’ and I was very scared and I said ‘Donna, who is going to work for me?’ and she said ‘mom, I will help you, just open it’ and that happened,” says Conci’s mother who is a pharmacist.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "At one point, Donna told me 'mom, let's open up a store' and I was very scared and I said 'Donna, who is going to work for me?' and she said 'mom, I will help you, just open it' and that happened," says Conci's mother who is a pharmacist.

They opened up Sunrise Pharmacy, where the teen works and in true Conci fashion, where she also volunteers doing harm reduction awareness.

Conci admits juggling everything she does can be a challenge sometimes but one that’s worth every smile she brings to another person’s face.

Conci’s story is the first in Global Okanagan’s Local Heroes series. Every month, we will feature an individual who goes above and beyond for their community. If you know someone who deserves to have their story told, send us an e mail about them at okanagan@globalnews.ca.