About Us
"Opportunity through education"
Mission
H.E.A.L., through partnerships with communities, responds to local priorities in rural Uganda on initiatives that promote health, knowledge, and leadership skills.
Vision
A world where children and youth realize a brighter future through education.
Our Patron
Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, AOE, B.Sc., LLD (hon)
Lieutenant Governor of AlbertaHEAL is pleased to announce that Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, has accepted to become an Honourary Patron of our organization.
Her Honour was installed as Alberta's 19th Lieutenant Governor on August 26, 2020. Her longstanding service as a community leader and volunteer has been guided by her deep commitment to the values of pluralism and inclusion and her dedication to championing those who face barriers in life.
Learn more about Her Honour via this link.
Our People
Board Chair - Kelly Deis worked at the front lines of service delivery in public health in two Canadian provinces, in both urban and rural settings. In the last 15 years of her career, she had increasing responsibility for oversight and coordination of large provincial, national and international knowledge transfer and research programs. Kelly brings her passion for public health to the H.E.A.L. board serving as Board Chair since October 2016.
President & CEO - Arif Alibhai is one of the founders of H.E.A.L. International. He is an entrepreneur with business interests in biotechnology and health. He was formerly an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta School of Public Health in the Global Health program. Arif has a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration and a PhD in Public Health (Global Health). He has over 10 years of experience in program management, research and teaching at the graduate level centred around community-based health services in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Arif continues to travel regularly to Uganda to support HEAL’s collaboration with HEAL’s community partners in Uganda. His connections with rural communities and leadership in western Uganda allow our work to be relevant to the needs and aspirations of the local people.
Director of Development - Jeanne Annett has recently retired from a long-term and varied career within the Alberta Ministry of Health. Her experience includes contributions to health promotion, adult education, health system planning and research and evaluation support. In her role as Director of Development, Jeanne supports exploring new fundraising opportunities for HEAL International.
Treasurer - Salim Merali is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), and also holds a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) designation. He started his career in the Accounting and Financial field before moving into a senior management role within the energy sector. With his passion for helping others and making a difference, Salim transitioned from a full-time career to working part-time for not-for-profit and volunteer organizations. His prior experience includes serving on various Steering Committees, including participation on a committee responsible for implementing a competitive royalty regime in Alberta. Salim has also been part of a committee that has worked in stimulating the Alberta economy through renewed investments in the oil and gas sectors.
Secretary - Aleefa Devji is a Registered Respiratory Therapist working in the Edmonton community. Before attending NAIT for the RT program, she studied at the University of Alberta and completed her BSc. in Biology. Aleefa has always had a desire to work in international development and has a strong belief that empowering others is key to their success. She has previously worked on projects in Kenya and Guatemala. Aleefa is new to our Board but is keen to contribute her time to H.E.A.L. to help create easier access to education for children in Uganda while also contributing to the overall health and wellness of the community in Fort Portal.
Member at Large - Gurleen Gill is a graduate of the University of Alberta with a desire to spread her passion for education to others. She was part of the UA Learning Beyond Borders (LBB) club since 2018 where she was co-president from 2020-2022. She joined HEAL International's Board after graduating, taking on the role of Secretary and Treasurer for a term as well as working on social media. She is a recipient of the "Top 30 Under 30" award for her role in LBB and HEAL. Recently Gurleen was accepted into medical school. She will continue as a board member where she hopes to advance her contributions by taking on more meaningful projects that help break barriers to education for children in rural Uganda.
Member at Large - Robert Wallace holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degree and has recently retired from Edmonton Public Schools after 30 years where he taught Photography and Media Creation at Victoria School of the Arts. In 2014 and 2017, Robert visited Uganda and witnessed firsthand the work that H.E.A.L. and YES Uganda do and took photographs of the lives of rural Ugandans, including the school children Learning Beyond Borders supports.
Partners
Youth Encouragement Services (YES) Uganda has been helping orphaned and vulnerable youth, including those born HIV+, since 1996 under the leadership of Carol Adams. The organization opens up educational and training opportunities for children and is hands-on proactive with health issues and welfare improvement. For more information on this valued partner, visit their website (www.yesuganda.org).
H.E.A.L. International works with youth in Canada on our school-to-school partnership program called Learning Beyond Borders. The aim of this program is to instill a sense of global citizenship and to foster interactive communications between youth in Canada and youth in Uganda.
The Peer Education Kabarole (PEK) program was established in 2009 and as such, is one of our longer standing partnerships. PEK currently runs in 15 schools in the Kabarole district in western Uganda supporting close to 9,000 secondary students yearly. This program works in partnership with the Kabarole District Health Department.
Since 2015, H.E.A.L. has worked with local community members and the St. Lawrence Secondary School Management Board to ensure successful completion of construction of a new secondary school. Enrollment has far exceeded initial expectations. H.E.A.L. continues to provide some oversight and funding to the school community.
Reports and Financials
Annual reports provide a timely way for members and supporters to keep abreast of the news. These are distributed in March/April each year and reflect the activities of the previous calendar year.
2023 Annual Report
2022 Annual Report
2021 Annual Report
2020 Annual Report
2019 Annual Report
H.E.A.L. International endeavors to keep administrative costs low and is committed to accountability and transparency in the use of funds. All donors and interested parties can access our financial statements at the links below:
2023 Financial Statements
2022 Financial Statements
2021 Financial Statements
2020 Financial Statements
2019 Financial Statements
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website provides annual charity returns. To view these annual charity returns, please visit the CRA’s searchable charities listing here.
H.E.A.L. International’s charitable registration number is 86432 2771 RR0001.
Our Peer Education Kabarole program publishes annual reports which can be accessed below
We are proud to have long-standing and committed volunteers who contribute to our work in Uganda. Below is a small selection of volunteers we honour for the dedication, commitment and sense of global citizenship.
Volunteer Salute 2024
Volunteer Salute 2022
Volunteer Salute 2021
Volunteer Salute 2019