After a lifechanging trip to work with Operation Smile in Ghana, a local teen is packing her bags again, this time to study toward her dream of becoming a surgeon in Zambia.
Farah Logday, who recently matriculated from Islamia College, has been accepted into the medical programme at Texila American University and will start her programme with a full scholarship.
After becoming a non-medical volunteer with Operation Smile in 2019, her passion for helping others was solidified (“Islamia learner off to Ghana as volunteer”, People’s Post, 5 November 2019).
“With Operation Smile, we meet students in different countries, that is really what broke the borders for me and encouraged me to study abroad. When we are educated abroad, we break barriers created thousands of years ago,” says Farah.
“When I applied for universities, I kept an open mind. I searched for medical universities in the world and that is when this university popped up.”
She was provisionally accepted for a scholarship with her Grade 11 marks. Set on becoming a student of the world, Farah’s passion also saw her selected as one of the international students for the international student leadership conference held in Peru in 2020. Unfortunately due to the pandemic, this did not materialise in another international trip and was held virtually.
Having been selected as head girl at Islamia College during her matric year last year, she did not let the pressure of the pandemic get to her and persevered.
It was not without its challenges though.
A major disruption was when her parents, Zareena and Siraj were diagnosed with Covid-19 during the June examinations.
Her academics were affected, having missed four weeks of school, but with a bit of help and a fighting spirit, her final examination marks meant she kept her scholarship and will start classes in April.
Zareena says: “It was a shock when she came to us, notifying us she applied everywhere in the world. Farah is an independent girl. Going to Ghana was a major step.”
While it will be sad to send her off into the world, Zareena says as supportive parents, they will be happy to see their daughter fulfil her dreams.
“My husband says I never want her to say that she had this opportunity in life and we never let her take it. This is why we decided to be happy and support her,” says Zareena.
In her family, education is key. Her father Siraj is a semi-retired lawyer still busy with humanitarian work and her brother Taariq, who just graduated as a Scientist, have set great examples. Zareena is an entrepreneur.
Having met so many children with big dreams while in Ghana, it opened her eyes to the possibilities of achieving any dream.
“Nelson Mandela said ‘education is the most powerful weapon to change the world’, and as students we are changing the world. This is what is exciting me the most, fulfilling my dream to study medicine,” says Farah.
To the class of 2022 and other youths, Farah says: “We need to have open minds about education, because it doesn’t have borders. You can go anywhere in the world to study anything you want. You will need to learn to adapt, but through the pandemic, students were able to learn how to adapt.”
“Don’t focus on a black dot on a canvas. Move from that dot and create your own picture,” she continues.
Zareena says their belief is: “No matter where you go and where you get in, everyone’s career comes to the same. Whether you study to be a doctor, journalist, editor, scientist, artist or anything, it will come out to be the same, so you can go anywhere in the world to study for the career you want.”
