Gulshan and Pyarali G. Nanji have made a generous donation

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Sass
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Gulshan and Pyarali G. Nanji have made a generous donation

Post by Sass »

http://www.sunnybrookandwomens.on.ca/fo ... /newsnanji



A Heartfelt Thanks from a Stateless Refugee

Sunnybrook & Women’s Foundation is pleased to announce that Gulshan and Pyarali G. Nanji have made a generous donation - and are lead donors - towards the recently approved capital expansion of the Emergency Department at Sunnybrook & Women’s.

The “G. & P. Emergency Response Centre” will be operational by the fall of 2008. It will occupy an area of 4,200 square feet within the new expansion, specializing in examining rooms for pediatrics, ear, nose and throat complications, orthopaedics and mental health consultations and other non-resuscitation emergencies. Each year, Sunnybrook & Women’s Emergency Department cares for more than 48,000 patients referred by over 80 hospitals across Ontario.

The Nanjis were born in Uganda, settling in Canada in 1972. Though citizens by birth, the regime of then dictator Idi Amin stripped them of their citizenship, their assets and declared them stateless refugees. Canada was the only country in the world at that time to come forward to help. The Canadian government, then under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, came to their rescue and the Nanji family, together with other Ugandan Asians in the same predicament, were airlifted on humanitarian grounds. Under the “UGX” program over 8,000 Asians were air lifted on “mercy” flights in less than 60 days. The Nanji family will never forget the generosity of the Canadian Government and the compassion of then Prime Minister Trudeau.

The Nanjis, who are members of the Ismali community, are also patrons of the Aga Khan University and Hospital and were supporters of St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal.

Sunnybrook & Women’s is deeply honoured by the support and kindness of the Nanji Family, and their commitment to extraordinary health care.

Photo: The Nanjis with S&WF Chair Terry O’Sullivan (See the link for Photo)
Virgo2
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Post by Virgo2 »

Masshallah!

Al-Hamdullillah for a Spiritual Father who teaches such Great values to his Spiritual Children. This is just one example of the many thousands who do Seva quietly and support non-Ismaili projects around the world.

Proud to be a Nizari Ismaili.

Virgo2
sofiya
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Post by sofiya »

Well I suppose they donated this huge amount to where it was most needed. May Allah Bless them. Amen
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http://markhamvoice.com/featured/meet-2 ... ali-nanji/

Meet 2017 Anthony Roman Award Winner Pyarali Nanji


Posted on December 1, 2017 by admin

by Kathryn Willms

The first thing one notices walking into the headquarters of Belle-Pak Packaging Inc. is the sign above the company name declaring it to be one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. Then you notice that the walls of the reception area are covered in plaques. A set of shelves displays awards and framed pictures. Look closer and you see that those photographs include a premier, a governor general, His Highness the Aga Khan, and more than one prime minister. What kind of packaging company is this? you think. Then you realize that in the middle of each of those photographs is the same smiling face. The crinkled eyes behind the smile belong to Pyarali Nanji. CEO of Belle-Pak. Renowned philanthropist. One of Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants in 2011. Recognized with the Positive Aging Award in 2015. The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce’s Male Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010. Previously the recipient of two Business Excellence Awards, Nanji is again being honoured by the Markham Board of Trade, this time as the winner of the Anthony Roman Award.

This latest award to grace the Belle-Pak mantle recognizes Nanji for his talent for business, his dedication to philanthropy, and his leadership in the Markham community and beyond. “Mr. Nanji is certainly a deserving recipient,” says Richard Cunningham, president of the Markham Board of Trade. “He and his wife have been generous benefactors to hospitals and universities across the GTA. And with Belle-Pak, Mr. Nanji has created a successful and growing international business that is particularly notable for how well it treats its employees. It’s a wonderful story.”

A “beautiful” company

Nanji and his family emigrated from Uganda when the dictator Idi Amin gave the country’s 60,000 South Asians six months to leave. They settled in Montreal and became highly successful in the warehousing industry. When Nanji and his wife, Gulshan, moved to Ontario, the plan was to retire. But then the bank approached Nanji and his business partners with an interesting opportunity, a packaging company struggling in the economic downturn. Incorporated in 1991, they renamed it Belle-Pak because it was a beautiful company. The company grew through a series of strategic acquisitions. Today, it employs over 250 people in a 150,000 square foot facility and is a leading manufacturer of flexible polyethylene packaging with a diverse clientele that includes hospitals, banks, retail companies, and hotels across North America. “It’s not been easy,” says Nanji. “We’ve got a lot of competition. But we continue to invest in more advanced machinery, and the good part is that we are still growing.” One of the things that sets Belle-Pak apart is the investment it makes in its employees, many of whom have been with the company for more than 15 years. The company has created a university scholarship program for children of employees, and provides interest-free loans for first-time home buyers, as well as for employees going through a family emergency. “We have such loyal employees. They are excellent,” says Nanji. “We’re like the United Nations here. We have every community, every country, and no issues ever come up. They know if they need anything Papa Nanji’s here.” His eyes disappear as he laughs.

Saying thank you

When they came to Canada, the Nanjis vowed that if they had the opportunity, they would give back to the country that gave them a second chance. One glimpse at Nanji’s office at Belle-Pak confirms they have made good on this promise and more. A sideboard is covered in thank-you letters, article clippings, and commemorative books. The Nanjis have contributed to the renovation and expansion of the Sunnybrook emergency department and bought the hospital a state-of-the-art MRI machine. They are supporting eye care initiatives at the University of Toronto that see ophthalmologists travel to countries around the world to restore people’s sight and teach local surgeons to do the operations themselves. (“I want everyone to have their eyes,” says Nanji.) Their contributions are apparent at North York General Hospital, which features the Gulshan and Pyrali G. Nanji Ultrasound, CT and Radiography Center and the Gulshan and Pyarali G. Nanji Orthopaedic and Plastics Centre. A comprehensive list of their myriad contributions to various hospitals and educational institutes is far too long for this article.

Suzette Strong worked for Sunnybrook when the Nanjis’ first major donation arrived almost 15 years ago. Now as CEO of the Markham-Stouffville Hospital Foundation, another recipient of their generosity, she can attest to what makes the Nanjis so special. “They believe very strongly in helping others, in healthcare, in education,” she says. “They’re very proactive. They pick causes close to their heart, but they also want to know where they can make the biggest difference.” Strong says that all previous Anthony Roman recipients have had a meaningful connection to the hospital, and she is thrilled that the Nanjis are being recognized. “Mr. Nanji, with his philanthropic efforts, is inspiring other immigrants to give back.” Given the accolades he has received, one would think Nanji would be used to compliments, but he lowers his eyes modestly when commended on his philanthropic efforts. When pressed on what drives these efforts, he gestures towards the letters, photos, and plaques before him. “When you read something, when you hear something, that’s one thing,” he says. “When you see something, you understand the truth.”

At 88 years old, Nanji still walks his factory floor most days, consulting and joking with the staff, many of whom he knows by name. “What’s happening?” he calls out. “Work hard.” He’s a diminutive man in the vast space, but there’s nothing small about his vision or generosity. When asked if retirement is on the horizon, a staff member overhears. “He’s not allowed to retire,” she says, affectionately. Nanji grins and shrugs. “I’ll keep punching my card.”
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Brownstein: Immigrant family pays it forward with $1.6M donation to hospitals

Author of the article:
Bill Brownstein • Montreal Gazette

Nimi Nanji-Simard was 16 when she and her family got word that they, along with 60,000 other Ugandans of South Asian lineage, had 90 days to leave the country. The year was 1972, and dictator Idi Amin had decreed that, although Uganda had long been their home, they were “bloodsuckers,” and no longer welcome.

Nimi and her three siblings were among the thousands airlifted to Montreal on mercy flights quickly arranged by the Canadian government. Their mother, Gulshan, arrived a few weeks later, and their father, Pyarli, left Uganda on the 90th day of the Amin ultimatum, hooking up with family members at their temporary lodgings at the downtown YMCA, which took care of all their immediate needs.

The Nanji family never forgot this country’s humanitarian gesture, and pledged to pay it forward when they had the means to do so.

Pyarli quickly landed on his feet with a logistics company in Montreal. After 18 years he uprooted to Toronto, where he started a hugely successful packaging firm.

They launched the Nanji Family Foundation, which has given millions to hospitals in Montreal and elsewhere in Canada. It all began with a donation to St. Mary’s Hospital, where Gulshan had been treated for rheumatoid arthritis. The family’s largesse has since mushroomed exponentially.

When asked for an overall dollar figure of donations, Nimi, a director with the Nanji Family Foundation, simply quotes her dad: “Not enough.”

But there is an amount attached to the Nanji Family Foundation’s latest donation: $1.6 million, to be split equally by 16 Canadian hospitals — including Montreal’s MUHC and CHUM, which have each received $100,000 — to help combat COVID-19 through research and staff support. The reason for disclosing the sum is that the family and hospitals are hoping the latter’s respective foundations will match or even exceed that amount — which has just about been accomplished.

“Yes, our lives were turned upside down when forced to leave Uganda and come here as political refugees,” says Nimi, an accomplished scarf designer who returned to Montreal after stints in Toronto and Kenya. “But we also had the advantage of being English-speaking. So compared to so many refugees who come here not speaking any of the official languages, we were able to adapt quickly. And unlike so many other refugees, we never experienced torture or death.”

Regardless, her parents, then in their 40s, had to start from scratch. As did the rest of the family. And, of course, winter was an entirely new experience.

“There were so many volunteers who showed us the way when we arrived,” says the fluently bilingual Nimi, whose husband, Serge Simard, died two years ago. “My father was so impressed by the way we were treated, the way our host country took us in during our time of need. It was always his goal to be able to give back.”

There’s no stopping Pyarli. He’s still a force of nature at 91, continuing to run his company and busier than ever, with such a high demand for packaging in these unsettling times.

But his mantra, and that of the family, is “health is wealth.”

“He was in such awe of Canada’s health care system, so grateful for the free health care we received,” Nimi says.

The University of Toronto’s department of ophthalmology and vision sciences has also been a major beneficiary of the Nanji Family Foundation.

“My father wakes up every day, looks around and goes: ‘What a glorious day!’ He feels so badly for those who can’t see. In parts of Africa, many lose their sight quite young, often due to cataracts. So the foundation pays eye surgeons to go to Third World countries, perform cataract operations and train local surgeons.”

What moves Pyarli most these days are the front-line health workers dealing with COVID-19. “His view is that they are all someone’s family, and yet they show up selflessly at work 24/7. He is completely humbled by that,” Nimi says.

All of which explains the foundation’s $1.6 million donation.

Ironically, two weeks after the Nanji family committed to its donation, Nimi tested positive for COVID-19 upon returning from a visit with a friend in B.C., and spent nearly a month in quarantine. For fear of alarming them, she has yet to inform her parents of her test result.

“I was one of the very lucky ones who had a lighter strain with cough, fever and fatigue, but not enough to be hospitalized,” Nimi says. “This virus can strike anyone. But what it really drove home to me are the risks and commitment taken by our caregivers, for whom we all have to be so grateful.”
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Note from Scarborough Health Network (SHN):

As Scarborough Health Network (SHN) and the community of Scarborough continue to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to highlight the incredible support we’ve received from many donors to help address urgent equipment needs at our hospitals.

As SHN began fundraising for our COVID-19 relief efforts several months ago, we received a generous matching pledge of $100,000 from the Nanji Family Foundation. The gift supported our COVID-19 Emergency Fund, which was established to help purchase important and urgently needed medical equipment such as ventilators, vital signs monitors and personal protective equipment.

The Nanji Foundation’s matching gift inspired more than 540 online donors to give back as well, allowing SHN to achieve the match and generate more than $200,000 in impact in only one week’s time.

Thanks to the leading support of the Nanji Family Foundation and many others, our team at SHN is proud to have raised more than $1.8 million to date towards our COVID-19 Emergency Fund for our hospitals.

https://ismailimail.blog/2020/05/26/sca ... enerosity/
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Mayor of Markham

December 1, 2020 Announcement by Mayor Frank Scarpitti

Transformational Donation to Markham Stouffville Hospital from The Gulshan & Pyarali G. Nanji Family

On this Giving Tuesday, I am honoured to announce that the Gulshan and Pyarali G. Nanji Family will be making a transformational, multi-million dollar donation to Markham Stouffville Hospital. In honour and recognition of the gift, Markham Stouffville Hospital will be naming its mental health unit Gulshan and Pyarali G. Nanji Mental Health Services. The Nanji family gift will support the most urgent needs and priorities of the hospital, including mental health services, critical equipment to support emerging needs, and research, innovation and education. The Nanji family understands the importance of investing in mental health support and this transformational gift will continue to elevate the reputation of Markham Stouffville Hospital as a leader in clinical care, as well as help contribute to the de-stigmatization of mental illness.

December 1st is the Global Day of Giving, and I couldn’t think of a better day to celebrate this generous gift by the Nanji family to Markham Stouffville Hospital. Gulshan and Pyarali Nanji have contributed greatly to the success and growth of our city. After fleeing persecution in Uganda in 1972, they along with their four children found refuge in Canada. Their love and appreciation for Canada runs deep and this gift is another example of how they have chosen to give back to the country they love.

Pyarali Nanji founded Belle-Pak Packaging Inc., a local Markham business success story. An industry leader, Belle-Pak has been named one of Canada’s Top 50 Best Managed Companies and is an exceptional corporate citizen and key player in our robust and diverse business community. In addition to receiving many awards and accolades, Mr. Nanji received the highly prestigious Anthony Roman Award in 2017, celebrating his outstanding success in business and community involvement. He has also been named one of Canada’s Top Immigrants and has been honoured by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce.

On behalf of the City of Markham, I would like to thank the Nanji family for their generosity and commitment to bettering the lives of residents in their support of Markham Stouffville Hospital. The Nanji family is among Markham Stouffville Hospital’s most generous donors and I am continually thankful for their generosity. I have the privilege of knowing the Nanji family and have always been impressed by their commitment to service, exceptional character and generosity of spirit. Please join me in thanking the Gulshan and Pyarali G. Nanji Family for their transformational gift to Markham Stouffville Hospital.
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