Meet the people behind Empowering Hands Global Minds… Ronita, Renita, Reema, Ivy, and Noallan.
Ronita
Born and raised in Beautiful British Columbia, Ronita and her family currently reside in Coquitlam She has been married to her best friend, Noallan Naicker, for 23 years. She is the proud mom of four beautiful children, Nikhel, Rohan, Anoushka and Ashavri, two daughter -laws, Gauthami and Yashna, and not to forget her fur family; a Golden Retriever; Princess, two Golden Doodles; Marley and Zoey and a kitten Lillie.
Her passion has always been to help people. She was in the hospitality industry for 12 Years and made the decision to leave the hospitality industry and work in the family accounting practice. This led her to pursue further education in the bookkeeping field. She graduated from Langara College with a Diploma as a Professional Bookkeeper.
Her volunteer experiences include being part of various societies and school groups, where she organized local soup kitchens, and other various service opportunities like clothing drives, care packages for the Downtown Eastside and assisting youth with their service initiatives.
When she is not at work or volunteering…Ronita enjoys camping, ATV’ing and travelling with her family… as well as doing crazy things with her son Rohan…, like Skydiving.
She completed The Curriculum for Living with the Landmark Forum in March 2018. It was when she did the Self Expression and Leadership Program she found out that helping humanity was her true calling….and then Empowering Hands Helping Global Minds society was born.
Renita
A born Vancouverite, Renita fell in love with volunteering her time at the age of 15 when she joined the Interact Club of Richmond. She quickly developed a love for charity work and helping make a difference in the lives of those in need. Renita, quickly discovered this was her passion and became the President of the Interact Club, during her term she dedicated the year to children and organized various fundraisers which raised funds for the Aids Foundation, Richmond Food Bank and Children’s Hospital.
During her time studying Business Management at British Columbia Institute of Technology, Renita was the charter member of the Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs -BCIT Chapter as the Vice President of Charitable Relations. During her term she chaired the Platinum Ball which raised funds for the Richmond Hospital Oncology Department building a treatment room to assist patients fighting Cancer and receiving Chemotherapy. At the age of 21 Renita was recognized by the Rotary Club of Richmond and honored with their highest international recognition – Paul Harris Fellow award for “service above self”.
Renita, continued her charity work by joining the Rotary Club of Richmond and during her time she was co-chair of the Tribute to Seniors Gala which raised $350,000 to help with renovations at the Lions Manor, Rosewood Manor and the Richmond Hospice House. This gala also helped bring awareness to the aging population and to the lack of senior homes in Richmond, which helped inspire residents in spearheading the new Lions Manor. She then received her second Paul Harris Award by Rotary International.
Renita has worked endlessly in making a difference in her community by working on the Richmond
Hospital Starlight Gala and the Richmond Hospital Golf tournament for several years which raised
millions of dollars to help funds for various machinery, improvements in care for the hospital.
Renita also was on the board for CHIMO Community Services which provides diverse services from community building to prevention, from individual crises support to advocacy and peer support to education.
Over her career she has worked in her family business – Canadian Duty Free Group, a leading distributer to the Canadian travel retail industry. Recently, she acquired the business from her parents and is now working to thrive in new areas by opening a new avenues.
These experiences gave her a deep aspiration to dedicate time working to help others and put a smile on those less fortunate. Her joy in working to make this world a better place is what drove her to spearhead this charity Empowering Hands with her cousin Ronita Naicker. Together, their goal is to raise funds for local and international charities while also helping bring awareness to various causes in the world.
Reema
Born in the Fiji Islands, Reema moved to British Columbia with her parents when she was a year old. She has been married to her husband Peter, for the past 21 years. They have three handsome sons together, Damian, Tayden and Kailen.
Reema has been working as a Medical Office Assistant since she was 19 years old. She took a 4 year break from the medical field to pursue a lifelong dream of owning and operating her own family run restaurant. She returned to the medical field as a Clinic Manager where she been for the past 6 years.
Reema recently decided to pursue further studies in teaching adult education and is currently working part-time as an Instructor at a local University.
Reema’s passion for teaching and giving back to the community through local schools and groups have brought her to where she is today as a Board Member of Empowering Hands Helping Global Minds Society.
Ivy
Born and raised on Vancouver’s east side, Ivy attended university in Quebec for a year to experience another part of Canada. She loved the French language, the history, the food, the vibrant changing colours in the fall… the experience was filled with many amazing life moments for her… we have a lot to be grateful for in this country.
When she returned, she studied Business Management at BCIT which lead her to the world of Human Resources. Today, she is an HR & Development manager for a Canadian company in Vancouver. She loves her career because it allows her to connect with people, contribute to their growth and well-being, provide structure, and support them when they need.
Through her profession, she has volunteered as a development coach, and has mentored with different organizations including MOSAIC where she supported immigrant mentees in their pursuit of employment in their field, helping them with Canadian work practices, from resume writing to interviewing, and as someone for them to reach out to when they are unsure or need someone to listen.
Ivy has also volunteered time with various other events, such as organizing soup drives for the downtown east side, participating in medical fundraisers, and global fundraisers such as the Partnership Walk for the Aga Khan Foundation.
Non-profit organizations have had a place in Ivy’s heart for a long time. Her parents were immigrants and it was tough for them, like most immigrants, when they first arrived. Not being able to speak the language, no family… in some ways, supporting non-profits is Ivy’s way of paying it forward so that the struggle for other immigrants isn’t as much.
She appreciates how difficult it is for someone to come to a foreign country where they may not know anyone or are unable to communicate. Contributing to the community is one of her greatest pleasures, and being part of Empowering Hands Helping Global Minds Society has been a sincere honour.
For leisure, when not playing, watching, or listening to sports, Ivy loves to explore different cities, and the more walking the better! This is her favourite way to learn about a place, to discover and explore all the hidden joys.
She will also be pursuing a Masters’ program in leadership so that she can continue to support positive transformations in others.
Noallan
Noallan was born in the Fiji Islands and moved to BC with his family in 1986. He currently resides in Coquitlam with Ronita, his wife of 23 years, and their four children Nikhel, Rohan, Anoushka, Ashavri, daughter- in-laws Gauthami and Yashna and their fur family Princess, Marley, Zoey and Lillie.
Through hard work and determination, Noallan put himself through School and became a Chartered Professional Accountant. He currently operates his own public practice firm in Port Moody.
Noallan dedicates his free time to activities with his family including camping, ATV’ing and travelling.
Noallan has given back to society by volunteering on various boards, assisting in soup kitchens and being available for community groups where his assistance is required..
Noallan wishes to further his contribution to society by working with Empowering Hands Helping Global Minds Society.