HEART TO HEART

Guardian Angels

Born and raised in Kerala, India, I was the second child in a middle-class family. I've come across several guardian angels disguised as people in my life. My first experience of an angel was my mother who was responsible for my strong educational foundation. Despite her tremendous support, I faced several challenges throughout my student life. From financial limitations to a brother with an illness, I was met with several obstacles in my educational journey. Overcoming all odds, and with the support of my second guardian angel, my father's friend, I was able to pursue and earn the B Pharm degree. After moving to Qatar, I realized how difficult the job market was. Without clearing the MOH exam in Qatar, I couldn't secure a job in the pharma industry here. After a year of struggling, I was finally hired by a reputed pharmaceutical company. During this role, I came across the third guardian angel in my journey, DTM Shanmuga Sundaram. As my manager, he pushed me to take on several responsibilities and delegated numerous tasks which were molding me to become a leader. Besides helping me grow professionally, DTM Shanmuga also introduced me to Toastmasters, helping me develop my communication skills along with the leadership skills he had been honing. Although I have left the organization now to embark on a new role of more seniority, I take with me the lessons I learned there for life.

The biggest lesson is to never give up, to fight and tackle difficulties, and to believe in the power of angels that come into our lives when we need them most.

Fathima Beevi Najmudeen, Immediate Past President