Featured: "What’s Your Dream?" Safia Syed Aims to Open School
Safia Syed is Regional Controller Finance at Aditya Birla Minacs. She is responsible for improving business insights and operational excellence through departmental budgeting, regular reviews, project profitability analysis, and support on revenue assurance. This week on Sam’s Dream Blog, Safia shares her dream of opening a school in her mother’s honor.
Name: Safia Syed
What’s your dream? The name of the school is Mother Noor-un Nisa School. This is named after my mother. My mother is going to be 83 years old next January. I am hoping once the school is ready, she will be able to do the inauguration.
I was once poor, and the right education gave me the opportunity to live the life I am enjoying. If somebody did not plant a tree, you would not be enjoying its shade. If you are enjoying it, then it becomes your responsibility to contribute in the same manner.
What steps have you taken toward your dream of giving back in a particular way? I used to think about a lot of projects. All of them required a lot of finances. So I would dream big, but nothing materialized. Since it was not working, one day I decided to start a small project.
I bought the land in a slum area and will build a school where underprivileged kids will be taught to achieve any of their dreams, big or small from the very beginning. We are in the process of getting the site map ready. Once it is done, the construction will start. The site plan and design are done by my friend, so he has already contributed. Another friend has a clothing factory and promised uniforms. People in the food business will send healthy food for kids, as it is important that along with education, their health is good as well. Some of my doctor friends will come on site.
How have your dreams changed? The more I see coming closer, I can innovate this dream by day.
What are some obstacles you have overcome? I am managing this project long distance, so the speed to get approval is not that fast. The estimated opening is next September. But it may take a little longer. Finances are not the issue, but city approval and everything else is taking a bit longer. Construction itself will last a good six months.
How can you honor someone through your dream? Tell me about it!