9th of August, 2020. Georgetown, Guyana, South America.
Last updated: August 9, 2020 at 4:14 am
In a broadcast aired by Newsroom yesterday, 8th of August, 2020, the First Lady of Guyana, Arya Ali, delivered a heartwarming address to the Nation of Guyana.
This is Her Story.
Fellow, Guyanese, I’m Arya Ali, and I’m very proud and very privileged to serve as your First Lady. Of course, this is all very new to me, but I’m determined to serve in the best way possible as my husband, our President, leads this great nation we call Guyana.
As this is my first message to you, I wanted to take this time to tell you a bit about myself. I grew up in the villages of Lusignan and Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara. My father, Kishore, owned a lumber yard, and my mother, Parbattie, worked as a cook. At the tender age of nine, I lost my dad. My mother, a humble woman, sacrificed as a single parent to ensure my brother and I were always well taken care of.
After completing school at Sacred Heart Primary and at St. Joseph’s High School, I pursued a degree in economics at the University of Guyana. Later I pursued a postgraduate diploma in developmental studies and I’m currently pursuing an International Masters in Business Administration at the University of the West Indies.Until recently, I was employed at the Guyana Revenue Authority.
I met Irfaan in 2015, and I must say his charisma and charm won me over. Two years later, we got married, and now have a son, Zayd, who will join us on this exciting journey as we serve as your First Family. When I say “your family,” I really mean it. This is one Guyana. We are all in this together. I have seen your passion for this country and that same zeal burns in my heart to make this country so much more.
I know my husband is very determined to achieve the goals he and his team have set for our nation. I can promise you that he will work very hard each and every day to secure a bright future for all of us because all of us belong to this one Guyana. Irfaan will be a phenomenal leader. You can count on that.
In the very near future, I plan to tell you more on how I intend to fashion my role and my office as your First Lady. I will work to help erase some of the social and cultural inequalities we see around us and to celebrate the true beauty and diversity of our Guyana. You’ll see me in your towns, your villages and your homes. I want to hear from you. I want to see you. I want us to talk about your dreams, no matter how big or small. And let us work together as individuals, as communities and as a country. We can build this nation together and love each other as we do so.
