From President Joan Hunter's presentation at the Somali Hope Foundation Gala on Jun 19:
The Rotary Club of Ottawa South is ever so grateful that Moe walked into one of our meetings and went on to become a member of our Club. He is both a valued member of the Club and the Ottawa Community. He has served on our Board in respect of our international work as well as local projects, mostly aimed at education. We see education as a way out of poverty and conditions detrimental to people’s progress. Hopefully it can also be an avenue to peace. These goals align with areas of focus that Rotary supports. What Moe has accomplished with respect to the Somali Hope Academy is awesome and we are proud to honour him this year with a Paul Harris Fellow Award. This award is given to individuals whose service is exceptional and which respects the values that Rotary espouses.
It is my pleasure to present it to him tonight and to thank him for the many contributions he has made to the Ottawa community. Moe, thank you for your service.
From the Somali Hope Foundation website:
Mahamud Elmi was born in the town of Bur Salah, Somalia. As a young boy, Mahamud’s family faced mounting economic challenges as well as a lack of opportunities. As a result, he moved from Bursalah to Mogadishu to stay with extended family in search of a better life. Shortly after, the Somali civil war broke out, causing Mahamud to flee to Kenya. Within the refugee camp, there were no opportunities to pursue an education. Mahamud was 9 years old at the time.
Once he arrived in Canada, Mahamud completed high school in Ottawa and went on to St. Lawrence College in Brockville. He became a respected member of the Ottawa Police Service. He became the first university graduate in his family after attending Carleton University, and later completed his Master’s in Public Ethics at Saint Paul/University in Ottawa.
Mahamud’s singular pursuit of an education proved to be the catalyst propelling him toward his subsequent successes in life.
His education equipped him with the ability to transition from simply surviving to truly thriving. Despite these laudable personal achievements, his longing to make a difference in the country of his birth, a country that has continually suffered immeasurably over the past 30 years, has never diminished.
