Business owner and community advocate
City: Ottawa
Country of origin: Pakistan
Sadaf Ebrahim is a proud Pakistani Canadian and currently serving the community as president of the Canada-Pakistan Association (National Capital Region). Her elevating to the present status speaks volumes of her diligent efforts and commitment to the community. Initially, after immigrating, she did odd jobs and struggled with her husband for an honourable living, but now she is a successful business owner. She has been a strong supporter for local and small businesses and has promoted hundreds of small businesses in Ontario over past few years.
To help protect the environment from the disastrous effects of plastic, Ebrahim has started a movement by the name of Green Help not only to address climate change but also to empower newly immigrant women by providing them part-time jobs for making cloth shopping bags.
During the difficult times of the pandemic, Ebrahim supported and promoted local small businesses through social media and her televised shows. She also made possible to deliver groceries to senior/elderly individuals in her community during the early days of the pandemic.
Ebrahim strives to utilize every available platform to raise awareness about various community issues and to organize fundraising campaigns via Canadian People’s Channel TV. She has raised mental health awareness in an annual Mother’s Day campaign for the last three years. She has also successfully raised funds organizations, such as Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, Cure Women & Children in Bangladesh and CHEO Foundation.
As an active member of the community, Ebrahim attends as many events and functions as possible to remain close to the community. In recognition to her efforts, Ebrahim was the first Pakistani to receive the Order of Ottawa (2021). She has also been honoured with the following awards and recognitions:
- Ambassador of PAGE (Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education)
- Ambassador in Ontario for Shaukat Khanam Cancer Hospital
- Appreciation Awards for raising funds for Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health
- Immigrant Entrepreneur Award by City of Ottawa in 2017
- Canada 150 Award in 2017
- CBET Appreciation Award by Canada-Bangladesh Education Trust in 2019
