The Global Enrichment Foundation

Aurelia Uarsama is a Somali feminist whose aim is to empower women through education. Born in Somalia and now living in Canada, Uarsama has a Masters Degree in Sociology from the University of Bologna in Italy. While there, she wrote a thesis titled Education in Somalia: Changes and Gender Differentiation.  Uarsama is a passionate activist and one of the co-founders of Sisters for Change, a non-profit organization comprised of leading experts in Somali issues pertaining to women’s integration and empowerment. Sisters for Change uses multidisciplinary approaches to resolving issues and shares their expertise with federal, provincial and local governments in Canada. In addition to dedicating herself to volunteer work in Somali communities, she has also participated in a research project conducted by the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta dealing with social support services for African immigrants and refugees in Alberta. A member of Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS), she is currently enrolled at the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, working on her M. Ed Degree. Her areas of research include empowering women and bridging capital to facilitate women integration in Canadian social fabric; African tertiary education and its role in creating favourable conditions to counter complex social and environmental issues in African countries; higher education in Africa and globalization.

Dr. Hussein Warsame is the Chair of the Accounting Area at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary and the Certified General Accountants (CGA) Faculty Fellow. He holds a BSc in Chemistry from Somali National University, an MBA with a concentration in Accounting and Finance from California State University - Fresno and a PhD in Management with a major in Accounting and Taxation from University of Calgary. Dr. Warsame joined the University of Calgary in 2000. Prior to that, he was a faculty member in the John Molson School of Business of Concordia University in Montreal for 5 years. He also taught in universities in Somalia, the US, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Peru. His teaching interests are in taxation and financial accounting. In addition to the undergraduate programs, Dr. Warsame taught students in MBA, Executive MBA, Aviation MBA, and Energy MBA programs. He also supervises PhD candidates in accounting.

He is a winner of the University of Calgary Student Union Teaching Excellence Award (Honorable mention 2008), the 2007 Chartered Accountants' Education Foundation Teaching Excellence Prize, the 2002 Chartered Accountants' Education Foundation Teaching Award and the 2002 - 2003 Haskayne School of Business Commerce Undergraduate Society Teaching Excellence Award.

Prizes won by Dr. Warsame’s research include the Vernon K. Zimmerman Best Paper Award presented by the Center for International Education and Research in Accounting in 1999.

Dr. Warsame served in the Editorial Review Boards of several accounting and business journals, including the Journal of Business Research(JBR), and Accounting Education - An International Journal. He serves as a reviewer for several accounting journals. He also serves as board member in several organizations such the Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA), and the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Society of Alberta (IPSE).

As the National President of the Canadian Somali Congress, Ahmed Hussen is deeply committed to the Canadian Somali community. Regarded as an expert in Somali affairs, Hussen is regularly asked by the national media to comment on issues facing the community and the peace process in Somalia. Hussen has always demonstrated a keen interest in improving the community around him.

Hussen was the founder of the Regent Park Community Council in Toronto, which is the official voice of the residents on matters like the $500 million revitalization and redevelopment project in Regent Park. This Project is the largest urban public housing redevelopment project in Canada. His success as a community activist was recognized by the Toronto Star newspaper on January 1st, 2004 as one of ten individuals in Toronto who have made substantial contributions in a number of important fields. He was also awarded a Queen's Jubilee medal and the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Authority Award for his effective advocacy work in Regent Park. Ahmed is involved with the Canadian International Peace Project as its Director of Communications. He has served Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty as a special assistant in charge of issues management, communications and policy.

Under Hussen's guidance, the Canadian Somali Congress has partnered with the Canadian Jewish Congress and the Canadian International Peace Project to create the Canadian Somali-Jewish Mentorship Project. This is the first national project in Canada between the Jewish community and a large Muslim community.

An expert in fitness, Amanda Small is a physical education teacher at Memorial Composite High School in Stony Plain, Canada and coaches a number of sports teams for the school.

Impacted by the work of the Global Enrichment Foundation, Small established the “Live Free” group, which encourages her students to be more socially responsible by fundraising and creating awareness of the needs within Somalia.

Small led a Community Empowerment Project to sponsor a high school girls basketball team in Somalia, the Sakaroos, providing them with equipment, uniforms and place to practice. She is passionate about creating leadership through sport. In her spare time she plays competitive hockey, baseball, ball hockey, cross trains, weight trains, and coaches.

Ben Parsons was born in Kelowna, Canada and has worked in Canadian politics and activism for most of his career. Studying Communications and Political Science at Thompson Rivers University, Ben worked his way through school as a legal researcher at a criminal law firm.

His love of public affairs and activism soon brought him to the world of political campaigning and community organizing, working in virtually every role of grassroots politics. After a few years in Vancouver, Ben moved to Ottawa to work at the Liberal Party of Canada's national headquarters. Ben was eventually hired by the Office of the Leader of the Opposition's strategic communications department. He has worked at central HQ for two federal election campaigns, filling a variety of research and communications roles.

Ben has worked with numerous private and non-profit clients, developing and implementing both traditional and social media communications strategies. He currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Matthew Rowe joins the Global Enrichment Foundation having worked in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Described by the Hill Times as having "the respect of colleagues from all sides of the House", Rowe most recently served as Legislative & Communications Director to a Canadian Member of Parliament. Originally hailing from Glen Williams, Ontario (north-west of Toronto), Rowe has made a name for himself as an experienced communicator. In his most high-profile role he's appeared on national and international television as an official spokesman for the Monarchist League of Canada providing live commentary for the Royal Wedding and Will & Kate's visit to Canada.

A graduate of Mount Allison University, Rowe recieved a Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 in recognition for his services to the Canadian Crown. Raised to have a global perspective, Rowe has travelled extensively but remains deeply attached to his roots. He is an active volunteer in his community serving as a board member for Hopewell Eating Disorder Centres of Ottawa and the Jamaican Diaspora Foundation.

Rowe currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Amal Abdullahi Bainah is a graduate of McMaster University where she studied Psychology in Hamilton Ontario, Canada. As a university student she was one of the founding members of the Somali Student Association which served Somali academics in addition to the broader Hamilton community. While in Hamilton Amal focused her community efforts on new immigrants and refugees working with key stakeholders such the Hamilton Community Foundation where she conducted a study on the city’s diversity as well as the City of Hamilton where she worked in the equity department and did outreach with various communities. Her passion for working with vulnerable and marginalized people led her to an internship with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Dadaab Kenya. Since then Amal has used her experience to inform her position as a Human Resources consultant with the City of Edmonton in Canada where she was often supported the immigrant outreach and consulted on diversity and inclusiveness matters.  She is a committee member of the Students for Refugees, a project started by former Somali refugees from Dadaab Kenya where she represents the western region of Canada. Her hope is to help create communities that are sustainable through skills transfer, resource mobilization and knowledge sharing as well as helping newcomers and refugees access the resources they need to integrate into broader society. She believes that education is the vehicle for a brighter more sustainable future for young people, especially young women and has joined the Somali Women’s Scholarship as a step towards making this a reality for those who need it the most.

Amal Hirabe, a Somali Canadian, has been deeply rooted in causes that affect under developing countries. Born in Somalia and raised in Canada, Amal has grasped a solid understanding of a variety of cultures and customs, strengthening her interpersonal communication skills where ever she may be. 

In 1994, Amal and her family fled the civil war torn country of Somalia and came to Toronto, Ontario. She began her studies at the secondary level of education and received her diploma in computer science and web design from Mohawk College located in Hamilton, Ontario. During this time, she served her immediate community as a teen counsellor in Planned Parenthood; often giving aid to troubled teen in the community and answering the crisis hotline. At the age of 22 she felt the need to join the World Vision Canada to further her passions. As a firm believer of women empowerment, she helped sponsor young girl from Congo, ensuring that this girl had enough substantial education to spark change in her live. Her passion to assist those less fortunate escalated as she was involved in numerous non-profit organizations; the most recent involving the famine struck countries. She has consistently been involved in the start-up of local small-business, and other organizations, but her utmost ambition lies within the young Somali females.    

Her aspirations come from her father; her mentor and role model. As a community activist himself, Amal's father has always encouraged her to help and give to others, whether it was giving advice to lonesome teenagers, or aiding children in dire need of food in East Africa. She hopes her drive and contributions to the less fortunate only excel in the years to come. 

Amal Issa was born in Somalia, but was raised in Edmonton Alberta. She is 22 years of age and a political science graduate from the University of Alberta. She has been a youth worker at SCERDO (Somali Canadian Education and Rural Development Organization) for three years. Amal has been a very active member of the Somali community for many years.  She will be pursuing her masters in Environmental Studies in the fall at York University. She is interested in exploring a wide variety of issues surrounding social justice and the environment. Amal believes the women’s scholarship program is an excellent example of how empowerment through education, leads to opportunities to work towards long term, sustainable change. 

Fatima Ismail is a fourth year undergraduate student in the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta. Her major is Psychology, with a minor Sociology. Upon completing her degree she hopes to pursue Masters in Public Health. In the future she hopes to be working in a health related profession, and perhaps even work in Somalia. She loves giving back to her community, and works effortlessly to promote sustainable development and women’s issues.

Najma Kahiye was born in Somalia but raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She is a BScN student at the University of Alberta. She has been an active member of the community from a young age. Her goals include obtaining a MBA in health management and working in healthcare policy-making. She hopes one day to retain the necessary skills to be an asset in developing her homelands health care infrastructure from the vantage point of the government. Najma believes the woman’s scholarship program is paving the way for restructuring a climate of hostility regarding educating women to one of support and necessity. She strongly supports this program, because it allows women to makeup the changing mosiac of Somali society rather then melting into the background.

Sahra Kahiye is a recent graduate from the Respiratory Therapy program in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. With her ancestral roots in Somalia, she has endeavored to better the Somali community through her role as a volunteer with Somali youth. She is a active Somali Youth Worker & Mentor. She spent most of her life working with and for the Somali community, with programs catering mostly to young Somali girls. Her mission is to foster the next generation of Somali Youth for a better future and a better people. She is currently attending the University of Alberta to complete her degree in in Health Sciences. She intends to study Medicine, specializing in Pediatrics. Sahra is honored to be involved in the Somali Women's Scholarship program, she feels this is an amazing opportunity to support home grown education and advocate for the growth of educational infrastructure in Somalia.

As a University of Alberta student finishing her last year as an undergraduate in economics, Sudi Barré was inspired to join Global enrichment foundation, after witnessing the great efforts the foundation poured into ‘convoy for hope’ in the recent relief efforts for Somalia’s worst famine in 60 years. This inspired Sudi to get involved and helped organize a well-spirited benefit concert and dinner, with the support of many wonderful people.  As a Somali woman who advocates feminism, Sudi is proud to be apart of Somali women’s scholarship.   

He has worked with Equity Bank Limited for three years in customer service, marketing and IT departments. During his time with Equity he was involved in the implementation of many projects; one of them being the biggest project that the bank has ever undertaken, shifting from its old banking system to its new banking which has the biggest and most efficient database. He is a founding Director of SolarGen Technologies Limited, a Green Energy Company and Tovuti Group Limited, an ICT company. He was working as a Project Manager for Orca Bay Data Solutions Limited overseeing a number of projects before joining the Global Enrichment Foundation as a volunteer then as a project manager for the Convoy for Hope project in Somalia.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Nairobi. He also holds the following professional qualifications; A+, N+ and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification.

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Omar has worked with Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) – France Somalia Mission as Liaison & Coordination Officer for a year in supporting and assisting the organization in contextual and security analysis, communication, reporting and briefings at the heights of the political and security situations in Somalia at the time Sheikh Shariff led Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was established and the opposition Islamists Groups sprung up. He has contributed to monitoring and analysis of the political, security and humanitarian context in Somalia to allow the organization to develop effective operations and reach to the vulnerable communities in the war-torn Somalia.

He also worked with The Northern Management Consultants (NMC), a research and management training consultants firm providing a broad spectrum of services in wide range of fields towards the realization of national development goals through policy advice, research and training as a Research Officer for 3 years in the Great Horn of Africa where he established a team to enhance the capacity of organizations, firms, individuals, corporate bodies and government and supplement and partner with development agencies or missions in responding to development challenges and achieving those goals. He is the founding member and Secretary General of Wajir South Professional Association (WASPA), an advocacy association in the Northern Kenya that advocates for the rights of the voiceless. He was working with the Development Initiative Access Link (DIAL) as a Project Field Coordinator overseeing projects in Lower Juba, Somalia and Puntland State of Somalia before joining the Global Enrichment Foundation as the Assistant Project Manager (Operations and Procurement) for the Convoy for Hope in Somalia.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science & Public Administration from the University of Nairobi and currently working on his Masters degree in Diplomacy at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies (The University of Nairobi). He also holds a Diploma in Community Health Nursing from the Kenya Medical Training College.

A passionate believer in the rights of every human being, Feisal spends most of his time in community outreach programs. He has been involved in civic education and providing legal aid to help and empower those members of the society who are not in a position to stand for their rights.
Throughout his time in the University, he has been a volunteer with various Non-Governmental Organizations that are involved in trying to breach the gap between the rich and the poor.  Touched by media reports of the drought and famine situation in Somalia, he volunteered with the Global Enrichment Foundation in the Convoy for Hope and is currently the Communication Officer for the Convoy of Hope.
A holder of Bachelor of Law from the University of Nairobi and a Certified Public Accountant I from Vision Institute of Professional Studies, Feisal believes that education can change the face of society and the Somalia situation.

Bashir brings years of experience in finance and the  private sector to the Global Enrichment Foundation. He has worked with East Africa Properties Limited for 2 years where he managed all the financial matters and was tasked with outsourcing various activities for the company and maintaining fundamental financial management. He is among the founder members of the Kamasom Construction Co. Ltd, a company that specializes in construction works. He later started his own Sabrin Beauty Centre, a vibrant cosmetics and garment centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
He joins Global Enrichment Foundation as Finance Officer in its Somalia the Convoy for Hope program and is married with two children.

He has worked with Shamo Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia as a Logistics officer for ten years where he excelled in handling fleets and logistics issues of the hotel in the war-ravaged capital city of Somalia. He struggled to ensure the logistical issues of the hotel were manned properly despite the security challenges in the capital city.
Before joining the Global Enrichment Foundation, Hiddig worked with Alpha schools as an English and French teacher and is now a Logistics Officer for the Convoy for Hope project in Somalia.
He holds Diploma in Logistics Management and Linguistics and is currently pursuing Business Administration at the Indian Ocean University in Mogadishu, Somalia. He is also married with children.

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Jules Nugteren has a passion for web design and a drive to help those in need, which impelled her to help Amanda Lindhout in any way she could. Graduating with a 4.0 GPA from the Art Insitute of Pittsburgh and putting herself through school by styling hair, Jules stepped into the web design world in 2002.

Jules loves challenges, including ensuring her clients attain top ranking on Google. What started as a simple website update for her husband quickly became a love affair with designing on the web. She not only has an eye for design through mixing and matching colours and effects, but has a deft hand with coding as well.

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