Tribute to my father

From Anila Hashim
Northwood

My father, Ali Raza Lakhani, was the sweetest kindest man on earth

He was taken from us on the 30th of December. The time we had with him were full of love, kindness and support for anything we wanted to do in life. He always advised us and as we grew up he was not shy of taking advise from us either.

He was always ready to help people and he truly loved by the principle that if you give with one hand the other hand shouldn't know.

He started charity drives and also encouraged others to be involved in charity work. He started the blanket drive for the poor communities of Kashmir providing blankets where the weather is very cold most of the year.

He believed in eduction and many came up to us to tell us how he helped them better themselves when he got them into education.

In later life he saw the plight of elderly who did not have regular meals as they didn't have any family. He started a successful tiffin project to feed such destitute elderly who now get meals on a daily basis.

He also saw the need for our community elderly to be active and social and not be just sitting at home and hence started the senior citizen group who regularly went on outings and socialising as well as a day care centre for elderly to meet up with each other and break the monotony of life.

There is so much more to write about him as he achieved so much. He has left behind so many legacies which make us so proud of him.

A lot of his charitable work is still coming to light whereby he was helping without expecting any thing in return. He would be missed and loved by many not just his immediate family

He did so much for his community that if I could do even 10 per cent of it I would consider myself lucky.

Someone who lives in so many hearts cannot be thought of as dead. He is alive in so many hearts.