Celebrating the Achievements of Women of the Community - The Bohras of Washington DC
This International Women’s Day, the Dawoodi Bohras of Washington DC showcased the success - and advice - of women in the community, whom they hope will be a source of inspiration to young girls everywhere.
Mariyam Kagalwala BA (Pictured above) is a teacher in Howard County, a homemaker, and a prominent member of her community. She started as a part-time Dawoodi Bohra Saturday School teacher for Kindergarten and First Grade. It was being a part of her religious community that took Mariyam to the next step of full-time Paraeducator for Kindergarten. She believes knowledge is power and life is a journey of experiences, which her religion has taught her.
Dr. Khadija Pothiwalla MD completed her residency in Internal Medicine and is now currently undertaking her fellowship in Infectious Disease. Being a doctor and helping people was her childhood dream. Moving to the USA as an immigrant and a foreign doctor was extremely challenging. However, with the support of her family, as well as her faith, she was able to succeed and now strives to give back to her community. Khadija spent time working in a rural Bungoma town in Western Kenya, as well as with the USAID to help manage HIV/AIDS and related complications in Kenya.
Dr. Fatema Turabi OTD NDT has been an Occupational Therapist for nearly 50 years, helping countless people in the region. She practices and teaches different methods of Alternative Medicine Pain Management with therapies including Craniosacral Therapy, Myofascial Release, Acupressure Cupping, Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) and many more.
What advice would you give to others starting out in the same field?
Dr Khadija Pothiwalla. Read and prepare well for your exams. Diversify your resume through volunteer work, peer reviewing articles, participating in research, and doing externships. Identify your goals ahead of time and talk to others who have been successful in your field of interest to learn what worked for them. Be persistent and passionate about why you want to do medicine. Medical school is tough and it’s very easy to get lost in the grind and lose your work life balance, so pick a hobby that makes you happy and make time for it. Create your own study routine that works for you and don’t leave studying to the last minute. Read up on current affairs - selection committees are always looking for well-rounded applicants. Lastly, go into medicine only if you are passionate about the field and not for the money.
How do you manage your time?
Mariyam Kagalwala: As a homemaker, I create a to-do list for myself and for my family that includes items we need to complete within that day. We have a family WhatsApp group where we often remind each other of things and coordinate any activities, such as asking "Would you like to have American Pancakes today or Indian Dosas?" As a teacher, I also manage my time between my two-schools, SJLES and WFES. This has taught me to plan things according to the activities that I need to teach on that day. For this, I set reminders on my Calendar and if necessary, an alarm so I don’t forget my responsibilities.
What has your inspiration been and how has it motivated you?
Dr Fatema Turabi: My sister, Dr. Batul Kothawala, was my inspiration. She convinced me not to give up. Everyone goes through difficult times in their life and to have family and friends by your side during those times is worth much more than one can put into words.
