Dr Noorshah Kamawal
Carlton Rotarian, Dr Noor Shah Kamawal, is a medical practitioner from Jalalabad Afghanistan who is currently studying in Melbourne on a two year scholarship to further his medical studies.
Noor Shah was born in 1980. In 1988 Noor Shah and his wider family were forced to leave Jalalabad to relocate to the then less troubled city of Kabul, the normally 3 hour trip took them 3 days because of insurgents and dangerous travelling conditions. Between 1988 and 1992 his family lived a comparatively happy life in Kabul until the 1993 Civil War. The family hoped to relocate to India but this proved not possible. During this time their home was bombed and Noor Shah was badly injured.
By 2000 the family were able to return to Jalalabad where Noor Shah studied medicine in what is a totally male dominated society. During his studies he needed to work in a variety of positions as a major bread-winner for the wider family, which included a job with the Jalalabad Media Centre, a promotional position with the Parliament and voluntary positions with the LLC, including producing newsletters designed to educate Parliamentarians about the immense problems facing the community at large and the community of the difficulties facing Parliamentarians.
He completed his formal studies in 2008, married and now has four children. He spent three years working with the Afghanistan AIDS Control Program, establishing the Task Force Committee. He did volunteer work with the Lincoln Learning Centre and Rotary volunteer work in Jalalabad.
After the completion of his studies, Noor Shah will return to Afghanistan and said he will do everything in his power to bring health and education to his fellow country persons.
Amongst his goals are: to contribute to his country’s development, collaborate activities between Australia and Kabul and develop a youth education centre with an extensive youth website.
In formally thanking Noor Shah, Chairman Peter Golden said his talk was inspirational and congratulated him on behalf of Club members.