The 30 Birds Foundation on Saturday brought together 150 Afghan women and girls across Canada who have fled Afghanistan and resettled here as refugees.
“These are women who, had the Taliban not taken their country, would’ve been Afghanistan’s next doctors, lawyers, CEOs and politicians. But they’re starting over from scratch here in Canada,” said Justin Hefter, the foundation’s executive director.
The Wingspan Gala, held at the Delta Bessborough hotel in Saskatoon, sought to build community through leadership and public speaking workshops to accelerate the women’s leadership journeys in Canada.
“A weekend like this is supposed to be inspiring, uplifting, to make all of our participants feel grateful for what they have, to remember that they have the strength inside them to really do incredible things,” Hefter said.
Some shared their stories of escape and how Canada has become a beacon of hope for their future.
“With the situation in Afghanistan, I have found more people who could help me here, I have had friends who are really nice, so yeah, Canada is home,” said Shahnaz Rasoli, a conference attendee.
“When I came here, I started taking Grade 12 again because I couldn’t finish it back home, so I went to school and I met these incredible teachers. They worked really, really hard for me to navigate my new life,” said Masooma Nasiri, who also attended.
The women are now hoping to give back to a country that has accepted them and given them every opportunity to succeed.
“I want to travel around the world and seek out people’s hardships and represent them and be the voice of people that are not being heard,” said Tamana Rezwani, another conference attendee.
Nasiri added: “We came here so far, and we want to make a world worth living.”
The women offered words of hope and encouragement to those young women still longing for the day when they too can follow their dreams.
“After each dark night, there is sunshine after that, the next day,” Rasoli said.
— With files from Gates Gaurin