– Bibi Shariman Ali says son’s integrity, humility secured second term

THE general election held on September 1 delivered a resounding victory for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and a second term for Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali as Guyana’s President.  But while the scope of President Ali’s victory may have been a surprise to some, it wasn’t to his biggest supporter – his mother, Bibi Shariman Ali.
“From a very young age Irfaan was interested in public service, and helping to make life better for other people,” says Mrs. Ali.  “He worked hard to get a good education and the necessary experience to be a good leader for the people of Guyana. And he has always conducted himself with integrity, honesty, and humility as President. This is why I believed the people of Guyana would return him to office.”

While Mrs. Ali is too humble to take any credit for her son’s success, it’s clear that he had an exceptional role model in life to learn from.
The native of Leguan Island in the Essequibo Region, Mrs. Ali has spent most of her life quietly helping others succeed through her work as an educator, curriculum developer, policy maker, and children’s rights advocate in both the private and public sectors. And with the support of her husband Mohamed Osman Ali, she has raised two successful sons – Mohamed Aqtar Ali and Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali – with whom she shares a close bond and similar values grounded in the Islamic principles of human dignity, self-reliance, social justice and equality.
Mrs. Ali credits her ancestors for instilling in her and her children an independent spirit, a strong work ethic, and a selfless approach to life.
According to Mrs. Ali, her maternal ancestors go back five generations to her great-great-grandmother, Gulzari Zurawan, who left India in 1893 for Guyana with six family members after her husband’s death.

“Indentureship was difficult for everyone, and it must have been even harder for a single mom of five children,” she says. “But Gulzari had the courage and determination to make a better life for her family in Guyana, despite the personal sacrifice it required. I am proud that Gulzari is my ancestor and humbled by what she achieved.”
Mrs. Ali says she saw those qualities in her Nani, Jameran Dildar, and her mother, Hafezan Ayube, and she has tried to incorporate them into her own life, beginning at a young age.
“As a child growing up in the countryside of Leguan Island, I had my share of household chores,” she recalls. “These included fetching water for the family, going to catch fish with my father, bringing meals to him when he worked in the backdam, and cleaning the house. I also walked long distances to school. This prepared me to work hard, live with little, be respectful, help others, and love family.”

These qualities helped Mrs. Ali succeed in a number of roles, including as a young teacher at the Western Hogg Island School where in 1973 she began a 49-year career in education.
“I was just 16 years old when offered my teaching job at Hogg Island,” recalls Mrs. Ali. “Friends warned me that it would not be an easy assignment, especially with the harsh terrain and simple living conditions in the area. But I was not deterred by the challenge then, nor any that followed. Resilience is a quality that runs in our family.”
Four years later she completed her teacher training and moved to Cornelia Primary school, then later to Leonora Primary after which she went to Leonora Secondary on the West Coast of Demerara.

In 1996, Mrs. Ali went to work at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development in the Test and Curriculum Development unit at the Guyana Ministry of Education. She was then promoted within the ministry, eventually retiring as Deputy Chief Education Officer of Development. In addition, from 2008 to 2012, Mrs. Ali was a member of the Children’s Rights Commission of Guyana.

After her retirement from the Ministry of Education in 2012, Mrs. Ali became a Research Assistant at Trent University in the Canadian province of Ontario. A few years later, she was appointed Principal of Brock Elementary School in Pickering, which under her guidance from 2014 to 2022, became one of the leading Islamic private schools in Ontario.
During her time in Ontario, Mrs. Ali met a number of Guyanese Canadians who were leaders in their fields of endeavour.
The Guyanese diaspora in Canada is more than 100,000 strong, and their contribution to their adopted country has been huge. These contributions include leadership in the arts, business and community sectors, where the efforts of Guyanese-Canadians have helped to improve the lives of thousands of people in Canada and their native Guyana.
In particular, Mrs. Ali collaborated with two leading Guyanese Canadians — Dr. Budhendranauth Doobay and Winston Kassim, who is a retired bank executive and community leader. Both of these gentlemen are the only two Guyanese Canadians who are recipients of the country’s highest civilian honour – the Order of Canada – as well as the province’s highest honour, the Order of Ontario. Their exemplary work in the community, particularly in Guyana and with the Guyanese diaspora in Canada, appealed to Mrs. Ali and she soon joined them as a patron and fundraiser in support of many charitable initiatives.

One of these initiatives was helping the Doobay Gafoor Medical and Research Centre (DGMRC) in Annandale, Guyana. The DGMRC is a registered not-for-profit organisation which provides specialized health care services (including dialysis) at affordable costs, promotes educational awareness, and conducts research. Thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Ali, a good number of needy people in Guyana benefited from nearly 1,000 life-saving dialysis sessions at reduced prices. She also participated in a special event in Toronto to thank York Region for donating an ambulance to the DGMRC where her presence also helped to create greater awareness of the clinic’s work in Guyana.
“Mrs. Ali was and remains a tireless advocate of our work in Guyana,” says Dr. Doobay. “She encouraged many individuals to donate directly to our charity in support of the expansion and maintenance of our medical centre.”

But Mrs. Ali’s charitable work while in Canada did not stop there.
She also served as a patron to help raise funds to address food insecurity in the Greater Toronto Area during the winter of 2024 under the auspices of the One Guyana Forum (Canada), and in cooperation with the Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce, Global Medic, and various churches, mosques and temples.
“By having Mrs. Ali as our patron, we were able to attract support from key community organisations and large corporations, which enabled us to raise more money and help more people,” explains Mr. Kassim.

In total, through the efforts of Mrs. Ali and her colleagues, the Community Food Drive was able to raise enough money to help more than 10,000 needy people, many from the Guyanese diaspora, by providing them with large food hampers that had a two-week supply of food.
Mrs. Ali has also been involved in donating wheelchairs to people in need.
“Through her sincerity and integrity, Mrs. Ali was able to recruit many friends and colleagues to donate directly to our charitable efforts,” recalls Mr. Kassim. “But she did so modestly, never seeking recognition or praise for her selfless work.”

Mr. Kassim says Mrs. Ali’s humble approach to her charitable endeavours reminds him of the Muslim Hadith (saying): “The left hand shouldn’t know what the right is doing.”
“While Mrs. Ali has done a great deal of charitable and community work in her lifetime, she has always done so with great discretion and has never sought recognition for her efforts,’ says Mr. Kassim. “This is an example of the integrity with which she approaches everything she does.”
Since returning home, Mrs. Ali has been a part-time lecturer at the University of Guyana, and has continued with her charitable work, including helping to facilitate the construction and repairs of homes for poor people impacted by natural disasters.

In reflecting on her long and successful career and life, is there anything that stands out as the most rewarding for Mrs. Ali?
She does not hesitate to say that it was raising two children with the support of a loving husband, serving as role models, and instilling in them the principles of human dignity, self-reliance, social justice and equality.

“Even though teachers don’t get rich from our profession, we do get rich by seeing our students grow and succeed,” Mrs. Ali says. “The same applies to being parents. Osman and I take satisfaction in knowing that our sons — Aqtar and Irfaan – have taken their place in society and become such good people.”
As for being the mother of the President, Mrs. Ali says the fact that someone from the countryside whose parents were teachers could still reach the nation’s highest office is encouraging and humbling.

“I am proud of what Irfaan has accomplished so far in moving the country forward, and in his desire to make living conditions better for everyone regardless of their background,” she says. “But I truly believe the best is yet to come. That’s why I was not surprised by the level of support he received from voters in the recent election.”
In light of these accomplishments, it might be safe to say that the spirit of Mrs. Ali’s ancestors is still alive and well in her entire family, including the President.