– says Director of new women and girls foundation
NEW YORK-based Guyanese Shameeza Ally is ever closer to realising her dream of launching a foundation that caters to the needs of women and girls, especially in the ideal social and political climate that has been present in Guyana recently.
The mother of four has been living overseas since leaving her Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara residence in 2001. She has been working in finance for the past 16 years, which she believes has allowed her to connect with her community a personal and professional level.
Having a passion for giving back to her community, especially in her country of origin, she started ‘Get Real with Shameeza,’ a live show featuring hot and outstanding personalities that are willing to share their inspiring stories through life so far.
While interviewing these personalities, Shameeza thought to herself that she could do so much more to reach out to those in need. “We have a lot of smart girls and women in Guyana and to see what’s happening to them….the stories that were shared and the photos and videos sent to me; it’s just devastating. I had to do something and that’s why I started the foundation,” she told Pepperpot Magazine on Friday.
Taking three letters each from her two daughters’ names, Shameeza named the foundation ‘SafAri for Hope,’ which will be officially launched later this month and will be based in New York.
“We’ve had guests sharing so much information on the show about women and girls, about trafficking, abuse, molestation, etc. My foundation’s aim is to help women in these circumstances and to bring awareness to others.”
Shameeza is making it her duty to come to Guyana later this month to speak with government and other officials about ways her foundation can support the work that they are doing. She has observed that owing to the amount of work that has to be done in these areas, the government needs all the help it can get through organisations like hers.
Once launched, Shameeza said the intention is to create and distribute care packages to the women and girls. “I want to be able to deliver personal care items like sanitary pads, deodorant, lotions and moisturisers to help them to care for themselves. No little girl should feel that having these things is a luxury because they’re necessities. This can help them grow their confidence and wellbeing,” she expressed.
She added: “We will try our best to tackle some of the issues in Guyana to help women. That’s my focus for this foundation. To be here today and be given that opportunity to help and give back…that is just powerful. I am happy I have been chosen to be the one to do this.”
Meanwhile, through her show, Shameeza enjoys open discussions on women’s roles in society, and allows her guests to express their struggles and how they have been supported and uplifted.
Her goal is to have men and women open up about the struggles that prevent them from living their best life and to this end, she plans on inviting counsellors and therapists to assist. Her plan also includes arranging for women-focused groups in the community to meet and discuss ways they can support each other.
Therefore, the foundation will provide care items like clothing and essentials necessary for women to restart their lives and take charge of their future. It will allow them to restore their confidence and go out in the world with new hope, Ally said.
She believes that every woman is beautiful in her own way and sometimes just need to be reminded of it. “I want our new generation to live in a world where they can openly speak of their feelings and not be afraid of having to suppress their feelings because of what society thinks of them,” she had said, adding, “It is crazy enough that we live in a world where we have to struggle so much; if we can be more open and care less about judgment, we can all have more successful and happy lives.”
