Rotary: Guest Speaker Farah Syed

Posted by Vida Peterson 
on Nov 29, 2011
 
 Our Guest Speaker was our own Farah Syed.  Farah comes to us from Karachi, Pakistan........
 Our Guest Speaker was our own Farah Syed.  Farah comes to us from Karachi, Pakistan.  She told us of growing up in a Rotary family.  Both her father and her uncle were Rotarians.  

Farah was a Rotaractor.  Her club focussed on the poorest of the poor.  Farah helped with a mobile eye bank. 

 In the 1990’s Farah worked with a project to educate women in the poor areas.  They taught the women their rights.  In these areas, women are 2nd grade citizens.  Their primary problem was the opposition from the men. 

When Farah came to Canada she made efforts to be part of our culture.  She worked for Revenue Canada, then quit to be home with her son (she has a son and three daughters) .  While doing this she became part of a group of Pakistanis who raised money, but she felt she needed to do more.  She worked with an Egyptian-based group which works to solve Muslim problems, particularly in the area of foster care.  Currently, there is no effort made to put children in homes which reflect their religion, whichever religion they may be.

Through questioning, we learned that Pakistan and Afghanistan are now one Rotary district.  Farah’s Father is the District Chair for Literacy.  Projects there focus on wells and clean water.

Welcome to the Club, Farah!  We are so lucky to have you here.