Shellina Esmail

Shellina is a passionate and driven advocate dedicated to creating positive change in her community. Born and raised in Tanzania, Shellina completed her elementary and secondary education with honors. Though she was eager to pursue higher education, financial constraints and limited opportunities in her hometown prevented her from achieving that goal.

Married with three children, Shellina led a comfortable life and was an active member of her community. However, her unwavering commitment to providing a better future for her children inspired her to make a bold decision. In the 1990s, Mwanza, a small town in Tanzania, offered quality schools only up to the upper elementary level, with limited high school options. Determined to give her children the opportunities she had missed, Shellina persuaded her husband to move to Canada, where they could access better education.

In July 2001, just two months before 9/11, Shellina and her family arrived in Canada. Belonging to the Ismaili Muslim community, the tragic events that followed made them question their decision to move. Despite this, Shellina and her husband persevered, working tirelessly to provide a solid foundation and quality education for their children.

Shellina began her professional journey in February 2003, working in government, corporate, and private organizations.