Shiraz Lalani
Shiraz Lalani was born in Mbarara, Uganda where he spent his childhood. He recalled a comfortable middle class family life with his mother an father looking after their general store. Shiraz moved to Kampala to enroll in a college accounting program. After completing his certification, Shiraz worked as a bookkeeper in Uganda for three years until the expulsion decree was announced.
Shiraz was admitted to Canada in early October and arrived in Montreal on October 13th, 1972. He was resettled in Kitchener where he recalls receiving support from the FOUR [Friend of Uganda Refugees] university group. After working several odd jobs including factory work at the Dare cookie plant in Kitchener, Shiraz procured a job doing customs clearance bookkeeping at Kuehne and Nagel. He has been working there since May of 1974.
Shiraz recalled the struggles of adjusting to Canadian life with the harsh climate, bland food, and anxieties of being in a new country. However, after a few months Shiraz felt more comfortable in Kitchener and remembered a relatively smooth experience of raising his family in Toronto.
The interview was conducted at Shiraz’s home in Toronto, Ontario.