“In whatever we do, at whatever level, we have always been reliant upon volunteers … especially in today’s difficult circumstances, we must never lose sight of nor undervalue the secret of our Aga Khan Network’s success, the element which underpins its professionalism…The heart and lifeblood of our network [are] the voluntary workers; the Boards, the Committees, the volunteers – young and old – who contribute their time and efforts.” –Mawlana Hazar Imam speaking at the unveiling of plaque launching the Aga Khan Hospital expansion programme at Diamond Jubilee Hall in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on November 25th, 1982 source
Recently, Ismaili Muslim community of Calgary, Alberta, Canada came together to celebrate 100th anniversary of Ismaili Volunteer Corps (IVC). To mark this momentous occasion, special celebratory evening was planned where over 700 Volunteers, along with other esteemed guests were invited to enjoy the evening festivities.
Addressing the audience, guest speaker Leela Sharon Aheer (MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore) said:
“Over 600 members of the Ismaili Volunteer Corps came together to celebrate 100 years of service. I was so excited to meet Habib Nathoo, the oldest active member of The.ismaili. The evening was a reminder of the impact of volunteerism in our communities.” Source
For this celebratory occasion, Walid Ehssan (https://www.facebook.com/weHEARTist/) created his latest masterpiece. A gumball mural of His Highness the Aga Khan in a volunteer uniform from when he was nine years old. Walid used over 12,200 gumballs of various colours to complete this piece. His recent work was prominently displayed at the venue where the guests were seen taking pictures and marveling his creation.
Ismailimail 