Nargis Naqvi: 2020

Nargis was born in Ireland, grew up in Saudi Arabia as a Pakistani Saudi and went to study in the US for her Business degree. She got married and after her first child moved to Toronto.

Nargis has published several memoirs in the Milton library collection and a book titled: The Perfect Muslim Child.

After 9/11 Nargis realized that as a minority who was targeted for other people’s acts one cannot sit idle and do nothing so she started to volunteer with Dawanet -who were busy brainstorming the idea of Muslim Fest – as their first Exhibits Coordinator. She then went on to create a children’s hands-on camp called Turn2Learn, where children learnt the stories from their faith via Lego sculptures, woodworking, and other forms of art.

In 2013 Nargis founded MY Voice Canada – a youth non profit organization led by teenagers who express themselves via writing, editing, designing, photography, illustration, stage plays and videos. The youth run all the departments of the organization gaining important entrepreneurial skills and sharing their work in the form of a published magazine distributed for free. Nargis just launched the MY Voice Academy for teens in 2020 as realization dawned after Covid that schools don’t teach many things required for survival and awareness.

Nargis works for Sound Vision as a Training Director and lives in Milton with her husband, 3 kids in university and a rabbit.

PREVIOUS WOMEN WHO INSPIRE AWARD RECIPIENT

Alia Youssef, Photographer & Dr. Lila Fahlman Scholarship Recipient, 2018-19

“CCMW does incredible work across the country and makes young women like me feel connected with other Canadian Muslim women of different ages and backgrounds. Receiving a scholarship in the name of Lila Fahlman meant so much to me. It was an incredible recognition from women within my own community celebrating the work that I do. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving.“

jjOctober 2, 2020