From $7 nights catching earthworms to BC's first Humanity Café.

I was born in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. I belong to the Ismaili community, and I follow His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan. My faith taught me that humanity is the biggest religion of all, and that serving others is one of the most beautiful things we can do. It kept me going on my hardest days.

When I was about 12, I decided I wanted to be a doctor. There was just one problem. I was not good at studying. I tried, but my marks never matched my dream.

I held on to that dream anyway. Somewhere deep down, I always knew I wanted to spend my life taking care of people.

• Age 12Dreamed of becoming a doctor

On December 23, 2011, two days before Christmas, I landed in Canada as an international student. I was 18, far from home, and I did not know anyone.

My first job was catching earthworms through the night. After working the whole night, I was paid $7. It was not much, but it was mine.

• Dec 23, 2011Arrived in Canada at 18
• Feb 2012First job: catching earthworms, $7 for the whole night

My dream of being a doctor became a dream of being a nurse. In 2013 I started nursing school. I failed. I tried again, and I failed a second time. Because of the college rules, I was not allowed to continue.

So I chose the personal support worker course. I failed that twice too. It hurt to watch my dream get smaller and smaller. But I kept showing up, and in 2016 I finally graduated as a personal support worker.

• 2013Failed nursing twice, and could not continue
• 2015Failed the PSW course twice
• 2016Graduated as a personal support worker

To work toward my permanent residency, I left Ontario and moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, all alone. I had to start over again, with no friends and no family close by.

I worked at three nursing homes, and each time I was let go. Each one had promised to help with my PR, and none of them did.

In December 2017 I found a fourth job. I hoped things would finally get better. Instead, it became the hardest time of my life. The owner watched every little thing I did and found something wrong with all of it. I was given work the other caregivers were not asked to do. If I asked a simple question, like whether we should make oatmeal for the residents that morning, I was told it was common sense and I should not be asking. My pay often came late, and almost every day I was reminded that my PR could be cancelled.

I cried every morning on my way to work.

• 2016 to 2017Moved from Ontario to Regina, alone
• 2017Let go from three jobs, none helped with my PR
• 2017 to 2018The hardest job of my life

On July 17, 2018, the day before my birthday, I was asked to leave Canada. After almost seven years here, I left the country for about a month and a half, not knowing what would happen next.

Then immigration found that one of their officers had made a mistake. They reopened my case themselves and welcomed me back. I will always be thankful for that.

Around the same time, I finally found the courage to share what I was going through at work. Immigration listened, and they decided in my favour. They allowed me to look for a new job, even outside my field. It felt like someone had finally opened a window. On August 29, 2019, I became a permanent resident.

• Jul 17, 2018Asked to leave Canada
• 2018Immigration reopened my case and welcomed me back
• Aug 29, 2019Became a permanent resident

On paper, life was getting better. Inside, I was very lonely. I wanted so badly to belong somewhere, to have a circle of my own. Some friends I trusted let me down.

Around five times, I was in a relationship where both families had talked about marriage. Every time, it fell apart. One ended in 2019, another in 2020, another in 2021.

Everyone around me seemed to be getting married, buying homes and moving ahead. I felt like I was standing still, watching life through a window. I did not know it then, but those lonely years were showing me exactly what I would one day build.

Through all of it, I never turned to drugs, smoking or clubs to numb the pain. I just kept working hard, and kept holding on to hope.

Then, on February 7, 2023, Emma adopted me. On the days I could not stop crying and could not get out of bed, she gave me a reason to smile.

• 2019 to 2021Marriage talked about, and it never happened
• 2019 to 2023Lonely years, wanting to belong
• Feb 7, 2023Emma adopted me

On May 6, 2024, I became a Canadian citizen. Twelve and a half years after I landed, Canada was officially home.

That summer I opened my first little business, a pani puri stall. Seven weeks later I was asked to close it right away. I lost about $2,000 worth of food and supplies. It hurt, but I did not let go of the idea of building something of my own.

• May 6, 2024Became a Canadian citizen
• Aug 23, 2024Opened my pani puri stall
• Oct 11, 2024Asked to close the stall, about $2,000 lost

On July 18, 2025, my birthday, I signed the papers for a café at 921 12th Street in New Westminster. Seven years earlier, the day before my birthday, I had been asked to leave Canada. Now I was holding a lease.

Five days later I had the keys. The space needed a lot of love. I painted the walls and the washrooms, bought and fixed furniture, put together chairs and tables, and many nights I worked until 1 or 2 in the morning.

I started the café with a business partner. Seven days after we got the keys, my partner decided to leave. From that day, it was just me. Grocery runs, cooking, coffee, serving, dishes, cleaning, events and social media, from 8 in the morning until 11 at night, every day, without a salary. Some days only four or five people came in.

• Jul 18, 2025Signed the papers, on my birthday
• Jul 23, 2025Got the keys
• Jul 31, 2025My business partner left

Before me, the café had been a kids café. In January 2026 I turned it into BC's first Humanity Café. I built it for anyone who feels the way I felt for so many years. Here you can come alone and not feel alone. You can order a conversation for free, and someone will sit with you and listen.

In June the café was broken into and the front door was damaged. It was a really hard day. Then my community came together and raised about $2,000 to help. Because of them, the doors stayed open.

• Jan 27, 2026Became BC's first Humanity Café
• Jun 4, 2026The café was broken into

This year, so many kind things happened that I never expected. In June I was named one of the Top 5 in the NextGen Pitch Tank. On August 23 I posted a video sharing that only six customers had come in that day, and that I needed about 38 a day to keep the lights on. It was seen more than a million times, and so many people came to the café to support me.

Reporters started reaching out, and the café was featured on CTV, BCIT News, 604 Now and Daily Hive Dished. MP Jake Sawatzky nominated me as a Community Champion, and as a Miss Canada finalist I spoke about loneliness and community connection. I am still a little amazed by all of it.

• Jun 27, 2026Top 5, NextGen Pitch Tank
• Aug 23, 2026A video seen more than a million times
• 2026Community Champion nomination from MP Jake Sawatzky
• Sep 4, 2026Miss Canada finalist

Fourteen months after I got the keys, we finally held our grand opening, with neighbours meeting neighbours. Our theme was "14 months late, but still here." That same month, for the first time, the café covered its own costs. On September 30, You N Me' Café was named in Restaurant Guru's Top 10. Now I am getting ready to hire my first two team members.

The girl who wanted to be a doctor so she could take care of people found another way to do it. I am so grateful to every person who has walked through our door.

• Sep 19 & 20, 2026Grand Opening Weekend
• Sep 2026First month at break even
• Sep 30, 2026Restaurant Guru Top 10
• Fall 2026Hiring my first two team members

The next chapter is still being written.