As someone who was born and raised in Canada I got to see the hardships that my parents went through as immigrants starting from scratch in a new country. Hearing their stories of what it is like to grow up in a developing country and their reasons to move to Canada inspired me to explore and open up my eyes to what my life could have been. Even though my parents gave my brother and I everything they could, growing up I struggled with the challenges, differences, and pressures that came along with being raised by immigrant parents. I still did not understand how fortunate my childhood was until after my first trip to Sri Lanka in 2009.

I started to save my money every year and use it towards exploring various countries to open up my eyes to the realities of life across the world. Visiting rural areas in developing countries including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Morocco, Laos, Bolivia and Peru helped me conclude that at 26 years old I am feeling privileged and wondering why I was lucky enough to be born where I was born. With all that being said, I hope to give back through my work experience and education in civil engineering.

In July of 2023 I am traveling to Eswatini, South Africa to volunteer, mentor university students, and work alongside with Eswatini community members to construct a 74m suspended bridge. This bridge will impact approximately 4800 community members in the Kalashabane and Esphumlweni communities allowing them to safely access essential resources including a school, hospital and markets. The phophonyane river restricts the mobility and accessibility of these communities for 28 days per year, which has resulted in six injuries and one death in the past three years. 

I am hoping to raise $4,300 to help Engineers in Action (EIA) cover the cost of material for this bridge. None of the money fundraised will go towards personal travel costs and all of the money will be managed by EIA. Please donate and share this page if you would like to contribute and help me achieve this target!