Strathmore business owner creates change

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Knowing he may only have a month left in Strathmore before packing his bags to pursue a 15-year-old dream, Mohammad Farhan sold the Taj Indian Cuisine determined to tackle social issues locally and globally while disproving misconceptions about his and other faiths.
Over a decade ago, when he was only 13 years old, Farhan confided in his best friend that he wanted to have an impact on the world and help those in need. Then, just over a year ago, he launched the House of Dreams organization, made up of nearly 50 volunteers – mostly students all with different backgrounds and religions – who are working tirelessly to build orphanages around the world. Having nearly reached their target of just over $33,000 – money required to build the non-profit’s first orphanage in Faisalabad, Pakistan – Farhan is hoping to have all funds collected by the end of January, also the organization’s first year anniversary, to travel to the country and begin construction.
“If you donate to any organization, what I believe is that only one per cent of the money goes to the people that need it, and I don’t like that, and so our main goal is to show people we’re doing something and we’re not taking your money for the hell of it, we’re going there ourselves building it, and we book our own tickets,” said Farhan. “There are a lot of orphans [in Pakistan]. Literally four and five years olds polishing shoes, sleeping on the road, eating out of the garbage and drinking water out of the gutter line. I ask people, ‘can you do that?’ We can’t.
“If something falls off a plate onto the floor we don’t even pick that up and eat it. For the people eating out of the garbage and drinking out of the gutter line, I feel for them.”
With only two major events and over the course of less than 12 months, the organization has already raised $26,000 towards the project. The funds will aid in the construction of the facilities, playground, kitchen area, security and gated area that will house 30 kids.
Once the orphanage is up and running, will ensure upkeep and salaries for staff and teachers.
Farhan, who grew up in Calgary but was born in Pakistan, returned several times to his birth country and is the fourth generation in his family to take care of orphans and those destitute. Having volunteered with mosques and temples in Calgary, he is hoping to expand and reach out to churches and other organizations and individuals to work together. In turn, he is hoping to unite people of all different background and religions, and steer the negative misconceptions surrounding some of these religions.
“I have to show people that Islam does not teach, go shoot somebody, go kill somebody, go blast something off,” he said. “This organization is dealing from kids, to animals, to parents, to elder abuse to everybody. We have to learn to be human first and then we can say I’m a Jew, I’m a Christian, I’m a Muslim. All that begins with helping someone.”
While the organization’s main concern is heavily focused on orphans – with future prospects of orphanages in other countries such as India, Cambodia, and South Africa in sight – Farhan is already planning on fighting against elderly abuse and high suicide rates among the younger generation in Calgary and plans to have an impact in Strathmore.
“As a kid I’ve been growing up I’ve been going to school, I had money, I had cars, I had everything, but at the end of the day nothing made me happy,” he added. “There aren’t very many orphans in Strathmore and Calgary, but there’s a lot of elder abuse and a younger crowd that’s just learning to grow.
“In Calgary, a lot of the kids are committing suicide due to drugs, friends, love, bullying, they can’t talk to their parents so they end up doing stupid things. My main goal is to get them into the right environment. Get them off media, get them to go out there and play activities.”
The organization is currently still fundraising for the remaining dollars for the Pakistan House of Dreams orphanage project. As soon as the funds are raised, Farhan said he is going to fly to Pakistan for a duration of three months for the project to be started and completed. However, before then the volunteers are planning to host an event in January to educate the public on the organization’s intentions. For Nadia Pir, who joined the non-profit at the beginning of last year, it is important that the organization give back to Canadian communities.
“If we only help out middle eastern countries once again we’re going to create that difference ‘oh we’re only helping the brown people,’ but if we help out people in Calgary too, we want to put the word out there that we’re just not for the brown people, we’re here for the white, for anyone,” she added. “Anyone who needs help we’re here to help them out. We don’t want to have that difference with the race or religion. People or kids or anyone that needs help they can raise their hand towards us and we will help them out.”
The House of Dreams organization will post updates on their Facebook page and website once construction begins on the project. For more information visit www.hofdreams.ca.