Khalidha Nasiri

Khalidha Nasiri is the Executive Director of AYEDI where she is responsible for overseeing the overall operations, management, and success of the group. She has an extensive background working in research, advocacy, and community organizing. This includes leading a local leadership program for underprivileged youth, working for a federal Finance Minister, serving on grassroots organizations such as Scarborough Transit Action and The Canadian-Muslim Vote, and representing her riding of Scarborough-Guildwood with Equal Voice’s historic 2017 Daughters of the Vote initiative. Khalidha started AYEDI because she strongly believes in the potential for young Afghan-Canadians to become leaders and advocates in their communities. She hopes to break down the barriers that our community encounters in accessing spaces to express our voice and develop into leaders.

Khalidha is a second-year medical student at the University of Western Ontario. She has a Master’s in Epidemiology from McGill University and has interned at the World Health Organization. Her hobbies including reading non-fiction, Taekwon-do, drinking double doubles, and travelling. She writes on her personal blog at www.behindthemd.com.