By Frederick Halley

HAVING spent a few years of her life in Guyana during the early 1970s, following her marriage to a Guyanese jeweller in England, Diana Alli D’Souza considers herself to be an “honorary Guyanese”.

Last Saturday night, I had the distinct privilege of reacting face-to-face with this phenomenal individual, who was born in Mumbai, India, but has since made Toronto, Canada, her home after leaving Guyana in 1975. It was also one night after she had received another prestigious award to add to her massive collection.

Diana was awarded the Medal of Distinction/Certificate of Award “For Community Service/Humanities/Education for her distinguished and outstanding services to Canada” by the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada at a lavish dinner held at the Hungarian Canadian Community Centre, in North York, Toronto.

In an invited comment, a modest but proud Diana disclosed, “I am profoundly grateful and in awe receiving one of the most prestigious National Canadian Press Ethnic Medal of Distinction and Award by the members of the Board of Directors for Community Service, Humanities and Education for distinguished and outstanding service to Canada. I thank Executive Director Maria Saras-Voutsinas for nominating me, and President and CEO Thomas S. Saras for his endless faith in me.”

As Diana explained, “Altruism and Social Responsibility, Philanthropy and Volunteerism have been a passion of mine since a very young child. My parents have been my biggest role models who ensured that in their parenting skills and sage advice, no individual and especially no child, is deprived of the necessities at home or in school.

“They sent me to a Catholic school in Mumbai, India, that focused on caring for orphan children. They could very well have afforded a private school, but, to them, they believe in humility, humanitarianism, and a genuine interest in the well-being of the less fortunate. In turn, my passion for making a difference took leaps and bounds, setting a strong foundation to open doors for minorities and the underrepresented, positively impacting my perspective for the rest of my life supporting poverty, multi-faith, sexual orientation and underrepresentation. My global contributions now focus on these very premises.

“I have taken the pollen of four gurus and built my own tree of hope from Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Desmond Tutu, and from these saintly icons, I began my vision and framework that everyone deserves the chance to live a healthy, productive and safe life.

“In all I do, my daily mantra goes like this, from the words of William Penn, ‘I will pass this way but once. If there’s any good that I can do, let me do it now, for I’ll never pass this way again. I will see this day but once; if there’s any kindness I can show, let me show it now, for I’ll never see this day again!’”

Maria Saras-Voutsinas, Executive Director National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, pointed out that “Diana embodies the best of humanity. She is constantly giving back to the most marginalised, and has always been a source of inspiration. It was my honour to recognise her as a pillar in multicultural communities.”

Alli D’Souza served at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, for several decades as Senior Officer of Service Learning, Community Partnership and Student Life; Coordinator and Business Officer; Admissions Officer; Awards Officer and UofT diversity representative nationally.

While at the University of Toronto, Diana founded or cofounded more than 21 outreach programmes for underserved, underrepresented, vulnerable and racialised populations. Her desire to make a difference also led her to spearhead global-scale benefit concerts through the University International Health Program (UTIHP) to raise funds for destitute children worldwide. And, as lead administrator of UTIHP’s Books with Wings project, medical textbooks have filled libraries in war-torn and developing countries.

After retirement, Diana’s continued interest in altruism and social responsibility led her to found Access Empowerment Council, a non-profit organisation created to inspire disengaged, marginalised and underrepresented youth, and engage isolated elderly globally, focusing on the Himalayas. “Being a philanthropist, mentor and English teacher has been my biggest blessing,” she says.

During the pandemic, Alli D’Souza also turned her attention locally, supporting several soup kitchens in Toronto, in particular one called Ripples of Kindness for the neediest, requiring a hot meal, water and fruit packed for them. “It is a humbling experience knowing that many of us live in a privileged world, with a roof over our head and all the necessities that many barely have,” she said.

LIFE IN GUYANA

In a previous interview, Diana spoke of her experience in Guyana, where she gave birth to her youngest child at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital while living in Georgetown. “I now donate to an orphanage called Oaks of Righteousness in tribute to my daughter born there, and to commit to global needs. As well, for several years, I have supported projects dealing with poverty through Janet Naidu at Christmas.” Naidu is the current president of Guyanese Canadians for Unity (GCU), based in Toronto, Canada, an organisation which Diana also serves as a member.

A passionate trailblazer on social responsibility, Diana has served on numerous Boards: Faculty of Medicine Council, University of Toronto Governing Council, community foundations, university task forces and committees and is the recipient of more than two dozen prestigious awards, including 10 medical school graduation awards given to her for role-modelling,, compassion and excelling the students’ experience.

Apart from the Top 25 Canada Immigrant Award, she is the recipient of the Order of Ontario the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and has also been bestowed with two perpetual awards in her name awarded to medical students, an MD/PhD Canadian, and University of Toronto MD graduation awards.