Neighbours with long roots in the community
Safiya has known Don Mills her entire life. One of the few that actually knew about the English Lane neighbourhood before moving here, she lived at Concord Place (Wynford Drive) and watched our neighbourhood being built.
Safiya studied Human Resource Management at York University, then due to life circumstance travelled abroad working and living in Bahrain, Kuwait and South Africa before returning home. So, when she moved back to Canada she knew where she wanted to be to raise her son.
“This is such a great community,” says Safiya. “As a parent, it was a place I that I knew would be a great place to raise a child.”
“Rayyan, 7 ½, loves his school in the community. It’s such a small, cozy school that the teachers know all of the students, not just the ones in their class. It’s a wonderful atmosphere for him. Even as we’ve transitioned to online learning, they have stayed active and engaged with all the students.”
“Before covid, I was a Human Resources Generalist working and consulting with small and medium sized firms helping them navigate employee engagement, legislation and employee rights. In Kuwait and South Africa, I worked for international brands in recruitment and employee engagement. After lock-down, when we were all at home with our kids, I found it impossible to meet the demands of the business and teaching Rayyan at home as a single parent. It was especially difficult as the implications of covid took over.”
“Now I’m following my passion. I started an online store called Safe Beauty, found at www.safebeauty.ca. This is the website for safe, organic, natural and clean beauty products,” said enthused Safiya. Her eyes lit up as she began to talk about her venture. “All products that we carry are based on green principals: all-natural and organic ingredients with many of the products being vegan, cruelty free, made with fair-trade ingredients and having eco-friendly packaging so they are good for us and the world! The best part is, the ingredients in these types of products are almost all active ingredients – there are no fillers, making them so much more effective and good for the skin! I have fully vetted the credentials of all the products we carry."
"I offer an exciting range of natural and organic beauty products made with plant-based ingredients. I also carry non-toxic nail polishes. I only carry brands that have clean yet effective ingredients. We are a committed to providing our customers with products that will make them feel beautiful on the inside and out. I’m passionate about helping each customer find the best natural beauty products for their needs. If anyone would like to try these products, I offer free shipping for this neighbourhood. Anyone living in this neighbourhood can use the coupon code ENGLISHLANE when checking out on the website and I’ll do a ‘VIP’ delivery for them."
You can also follow her store on Instagram at www.instagram.com/safebeauty.ca and Facebook at www.facebook.com/safebeauty.ca to find out more about her products, get tips and receive info on other promos.
“Covid has brought many struggles, but it has also brought advantages. I’ve focused on my son. We spend time outdoors – a lot of time at our neighbourhood park with friends. We also walk in the trail, to the shops, everywhere,” said Safiya. “Rayyan loves our little park. It doesn’t matter where we have been or what time it is, he always wants to go there to see his friends.”
“I grew up here, I was born and raised in Don Mills. It has a small-town atmosphere in the middle of the city. This is where I want to raise my son. It’s safe and inclusive. Since I was a child, it has had a wonderful cross section of people and cultures. Even when I was small, our neighbourhood represented so many cultures – it’s like seeing the world without leaving home."