Fiaz Basaria has leadership on his mind. As the National Chair for World Partnership Walk, he is at the helm of a major fundraising campaign. Charged with finding and supporting incredible volunteer leaders, his main objectives are to raise both millions of dollars and awareness of the difference Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) makes around the world.
Having visited some of the countries where AKFC works, Fiaz feels connected to the cause. “I travelled to remote areas of Mozambique and Tanzania to see how funds raised by Canadians through the Walk translated into sustainable projects that eliminate the roots of poverty. Talking to and seeing for myself how people from villages and communities transformed their lives was an incredible motivation for me and validated that we are doing great things so many thousands of miles away,” he says.
Based on his experiences with the Walk, Fiaz believes that when you volunteer, “you learn how to strategize, plan, implement, influence business and solve real life problems, with a network of volunteer professionals around you. It is incredible how much you can learn through others, learnings skills and capabilities along the way.”
Fiaz is driven for results and innovation. “World Partnership Walk is a growing initiative with limitless potential when it comes to engaging Canadians to become aware, contribute and fundraise. Our ambition and goal is to grow the Walk. This is not only rooted in our key objective of raising more funds, but to grow it by investing in volunteers, attracting strong leadership, increasing the volunteering capacity, and ensuring strong processes and tools to support the effort.”
Fiaz is thoughtful about how innovation plays a critical role in the Walk: “World Partnership Walk provides an incredible platform for Canadians to come together to fulfill a common purpose. Its innovation is rooted in the very people that serve it, and our challenge, and mine in particular, is how to get the best out of each, in order to reach our potential in contribution. That is real innovation.“
Click here to find out more about volunteering with World Partnership Walk in 2019.
