Fartumo Kusow

Founder, Chair & President

Fartumo Kusow is the Founder, Chair, and President of the Sahra Bulle Foundation — a registered not-for-profit based in Windsor, Ontario, operating through its Centre for Learning and Teaching to advance gender-based violence education, awareness, and institutional accountability.

Fartumo established the foundation in memory of her daughter Sahra Bulle, whose story became the foundation of a mission: to ensure that no family navigates the silence that surrounds gender-based violence alone. Her work is rooted in the belief that education is the most durable form of protection — and that communities, not just institutions, must be equipped to respond.

A teacher, author, and advocate, Fartumo is the author of three books — Amran, Tale of a Boon's Wife, and Winter of My Spring. She hosts two podcasts: Break the Silence, Build a Future, which amplifies survivor and advocate voices on gender-based violence, and My Mother: The Person and the Patient, a personal chronicle of her mother's life with Alzheimer's disease.

Through the foundation, Fartumo leads free educational programming on gender-based violence, caregiving, and community safety — including the monthly Silence Is Not Protection workshop series, an annual walk, and a youth conference held each November. She brings to this work not only professional expertise but a parent's understanding of what is at stake when the door between a child and the people who love them closes.

Shagufta Arif Khan, MSW, BSW, LL.B., MA

Director

Originally from Azad Kashmir, a mountainous and disputed region in northern Pakistan, Shagufta began her professional journey with a law degree and a master's degree in political science before immigrating to Canada in 2004. Her personal and professional experiences have shaped her commitment to advocacy, equity, and supporting individuals and families impacted by violence and systemic barriers.

She pursued a Bachelor of Social Work with distinction from the University of Windsor and has built her career around trauma-informed practice, community advocacy, and social justice. Throughout her professional journey, she has worked with individuals and families affected by gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and complex social challenges.

She currently works with the Windsor-Essex Children's Aid Society (WECAS), focusing on domestic violence cases and supporting children and families affected by violence, trauma, and complex family dynamics through a trauma-informed and child-centred approach. Previously, she served as the Case Management Lead for Elder Abuse Intervention at Family Services Windsor-Essex, where she provided advocacy, safety planning, crisis intervention, and support for older adults experiencing abuse and vulnerability. She has also worked with the Nisa Foundation Windsor, supporting survivors of domestic violence and gender-based violence.

Beyond her professional practice, she serves as a Board Member of the Sahra Bulle Foundation and as the Director of Social Affairs at the Windsor Islamic Association, where she contributes to initiatives focused on community engagement, education, social support, and inclusion. She is honoured to serve with the Sahra Bulle Foundation and to contribute her experience in social work, violence prevention, and community advocacy toward advancing awareness, prevention, healing, and justice for survivors and communities affected by gender-based violence.

Master of Social Work (MSW) — University of Windsor  |  Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), with distinction — University of Windsor  |  Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) — Pakistan  |  Master of Political Science (MA) — Pakistan

Samar Farooqui

Director, Development & Resource Mobilization | Treasurer

Samar Farooqui has been a dedicated community volunteer since 2017, working alongside Muslim communities, vulnerable populations, and marginalized groups to advance inclusive programs and meaningful social impact. Her years of grassroots experience in advocacy, outreach, and community development inform a collaborative, community-centred approach to the foundation's growth.

As Director of Development and Resource Mobilization and Treasurer, Samar leads the foundation's fundraising and sponsorship efforts — cultivating relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders to advance the mission and ensure long-term sustainability. She works to secure both financial and in-kind support while strengthening partnerships that expand the foundation's reach and deepen community impact.

Samar currently serves as Vice Principal at a private elementary school, where she is committed to educational excellence, leadership development, and the growth of every student in her care.

Bachelor of Business Administration

Rehab Alwahami

Secretary

With lived experience as a refugee and professional experience in child welfare and gender-based violence, Rehab is deeply committed to advancing equity, social justice, and the well-being of children, families, and survivors of violence. After spending eight years in a refugee camp and arriving in Canada without formal education, she developed a profound appreciation for the transformative power of education, advocacy, and community support.

Her professional experience includes working with women and children in emergency shelters, where she supported survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. She currently serves as a Child Protection Worker with Windsor-Essex Children's Aid Society and is pursuing graduate studies in Social Work. Her practice is grounded in trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and relationship-based approaches that promote dignity, resilience, and empowerment.

Drawing on both her lived experience and professional expertise, Rehab is passionate about strengthening families, empowering survivors, addressing systemic inequities, and advocating for safe, inclusive communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Mohamud Bulle

Officer, Social Media, Community Outreach & Donation/Grant Communications

Mohamud Bulle carries the loss of his sister Sahra with purpose. In the aftermath of her death, he found himself asking the questions that grief asks of every surviving family member — what could I have said, what could I have done, what could I have changed. He came to understand that those questions, while necessary to sit with, could not bring his sister back. What they could do was point him forward.

Mohamud made a decision not to be a bystander. He committed his time, his skills, and his energy to ensuring that other families — other women living through, surviving, and leaving violence — would have access to the education and support that can change outcomes.

With a background in marketing, Mohamud recognized early that a foundation's mission is only as far-reaching as its ability to communicate. He joined the Sahra Bulle Foundation to close that gap — to carry the foundation's work to the people who need it most, through consistent, human, and community-centred messaging.

His sister's name is on the door. His work keeps it open.