CIRCULAR NO: JMT/15/19 July 13, 2019
Zilkaad 10, 1440
At the 27th Conference of the Africa Federation (AFED) held in Mombasa, Kenya in April 2019, it was resolved to form Economic Development Board to cater for the needs of our KSI Community in view of the rapid changing dynamics and the new emerging challenges of economic in the region.
The Chairman of Africa Federation, Alhaj Shabir Najafi is pleased to appoint Alhaj Sibtein Asaria to head the AFED Economic Development Board with immediate effect. Sibtein bhai is a member of Nampula Jamaat in Mozambique and has a passion with keen interest in education and economic development of our Khoja Community.
Brief Profile of Alhaj Sibtein Asaria:
Alhaj Sibtein Asaria is an accomplished global entrepreneur, and dedicated philanthropist and a talented social worker.
Sibtein bhai is co-Founder of Grupo Alfa Corporation, a leading business conglomerate based in the Republic of Costa Rica and with interests on three more continents.
He began his business career in 1982 by starting a food-manufacturing business during his university years. He subsequently expanded the company into a coffee-roasting business, supplying customers in Canada and 17 states across the eastern United States.
In 1989, he visited Costa Rica to vertically integrate the business; two years later he moved to Costa Rica and began investing in real estate projects.
Grupo Alfa is a conglomerate of ten major local and international companies, with different commercial backgrounds across real estate development, construction, finance, retail, family entertainment, insurance, fast food and mining. His most recent venture is healthcare, with an emphasis on developing care homes for the elderly across Europe.
His interest stretches from Costa Rica to the United Arab Emirates, Portugal and countries in East and West Africa. His global credentials are underlined by the fact that he speaks English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Hindi and Gujarati. By carefully nurturing strong relationships with individuals, corporates and conglomerates around the globe, he has consistently increased the Group’s international footprint.
Committed to an ethos of adding value to the Khoja Community and to humanity at large, Br. Asaria has also played a significant role in several World Federation (WF) projects.
In December 2018 he was appointed WF Executive Councillor with the portfolio of Khoja Eradication of Poverty. In this capacity he has spearheaded fundraising drives for small business loan schemes to lift Khoja families out of poverty for Haydari Benevolent Trust (HBT) – Karachi, and now spearheading to replicate some of the HBT model in East Africa.
Fundraising is just the tip of the iceberg, for he has also played a crucial role in developing the strategy, governance and feasibility of these schemes.
His Services to KSI Jamaats Globally:
Br. Asaria has been an active volunteer for his local Jamaats from his migration from Mozambique to Canada, Costa Rica and to his most recent home in Dubai, UAE. He was appointed the Ambassador for the renowned Jaffari Islamic Centre in Bathurst, a landmark project in Toronto, Canada, where he helped raise donations from the worldwide Khoja Community.
He was elected WF Executive Councillor for 2011-2013 and 2013-2017, and most recently was elected again for 2017-2020. He is also the elected Chairman of The World Federation Foundation Fund project a cause he is passionate about as he feels the Community’s organisations must be run in a sustainable, measurable and strategic manner. He believes the Foundation Fund will help strengthen The World Federation for posterity.
Also notably, he was part of the high-calibre, highly effective team of the World Federation and Africa Federation which rescued some 450 Khoja Community members from war-torn Yemen in 2015. He deployed many of his contacts at governmental level worldwide to ensure their safe rescue and re-settlement.
Board Members:
Following are members of the Economic Development Board:
We wish him and members of the Board every success in their efforts in fulfilling the Vision of the Africa Federation. We pray to Allah (SWT) to increase in their abilities to achieve the desired goals set for the term 2019-2022.
SECRETARIAT