On November 17th 2017, the ILAC team and pathway partners attended the 5th annual Daughters for Life Gala at The Carlu in Toronto.
The Daughters for Life Foundation is a registered Canadian charity founded by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, which offers full scholarships, awards, and fellowships to young women from the Middle East.
Once a year a gala takes place and gathers leaders in education, business, and philanthropy to honour scholars and incredible people supporting them. The ILAC Team was proud to attend one of the only events of its kind. “Attending the gala brings the opportunity for everyone to be a part of the foundation. I feel honoured, and appreciate the opportunity that DFL and ILAC gives me, in playing a small but significant role in these young girls’ lives”, said Diana, Administrative and Pathway Coordinator at ILAC. She witnessed the positive life-changing milestone of these young girls and their academic achievements in Canada.
The gala went beyond expectations, filled with emotion and touching life stories. The Daughters for Life scholars themselves were present and shared their journey with the audience. One of them was Ayaat Labbad, an ILAC scholarship awardee from Syria who arrived in Canada in February 2017. Her life hasn’t been easy: “I was forced to leave Syria at the age of 17 for Lebanon. There I taught Science to refugee students at the Lebanese-Syrian border and volunteered at the Save the Children Foundation. Thanks to ILAC and Daughters for Life Foundation, I am hoping to continue studying Dentistry and become a renowned doctor”. Even though she is only 24, she developed a unique maturity due to her life experiences. Ayaat believes that by educating women, you educate a nation and their communities will prosper. “House is not found on Earth, but on women. Women are the pillars of homes.” She confessed wisely.
According to UNESCO, 34 million female adolescents are out of school. Ayaat embodies the hope for all these girls that do not have access to education yet. Her message is genuine: “Your character and how much you learn determine your success in all standards of life”. Women just need an opportunity and it is what ILAC and DFL do. They give chances to women to pursue their studies and achieve their dreams.
Bogumila Lapinski Anaya, one of the board directors of DFL, expressed her gratitude: “Thank you to the International Language Academy of Canada. You have been our partner and supporter since our very first gala.” Their seventh year of partnership has been a great success. ILAC has donated over $200,000 in scholarship funds to the Daughters for Life Foundation, and hosted seven of the scholarship recipients at its Toronto campus. “We have a long history of supporting women, not because it is hard but because it is easy“, explained Jonathan Kolber, Founder and Co-President of ILAC.
Would you also like to be an agent of change in the journey towards peace? Click HERE to help the Daughters For Life Foundation.
Written by Marine Gas
