SheLeads: Zohra Ahmadi

“My grandpa was very dear to us. From a young age, he did a lot of work to give back to the community. That really inspired me because we should be giving our time to the community. When you volunteer, you feel this happiness that you don’t really get anywhere else.” 

For over 8 months Zohra has been volunteering at the AKFC office in Ottawa. She joins the team almost weekly to support various projects including ongoing mailouts, data entry and maintenance, and photo scanning and archiving. Her desire to make a positive impact, however, extends beyond her local community. 

Now a second-year Global Inequalities and Social Change student at Carleton University, she endeavours to create equal opportunities for women and girls around the world. 

“I was born in Pakistan and I lived there my whole life, but I also know how it is in Afghanistan based on my parents’ stories. My mom didn’t get to finish her education, so this cause is personal for me. I’d like to help women develop skills so they can be able to help their family and community. Many women in that part of the world [Pakistan and Afghanistan] have great skills that we don’t. We can learn from them.” 

When Zohra completes her undergraduate degree, she is eager to pursue further education at the postgraduate level. Her goal is to have a career with the United Nations empowering women. 

University educated and fluent in three languages, Zohra is preparing to tackle one of the most difficult challenges facing our global community: gender equality. Every day she gets one step closer, but by strengthening her skills through volunteering, she’s more equipped than ever. 

[Profile and image, courtesy of Aga Khan Foundation Canada]