Hope Beyond Shadows of Pain

About the Book

A perfect companion for anyone who loves distinct and varied emotions, these poems are like memoirs of a fighter of aching events in life, soaked in perspiration, of defining experiences, angst, and ultimately joy that helped shaped the author from a child to present time. These captivating poems take the reader through a myriad of emotions that reveal a long record of a life lived vividly, always deeply engaged with the world, from the stars in the heavens to the numerous characters that people the poems. The author hopes that her words can help others know that in their darkest moments they’re not alone, and that if they embrace faith, there is always hope.

About the Author

Dr. Mariyam Shakeela is a former cabinet minister in the government of Maldives and served as the minister of environment and energy, minister of health and gender, minister of health, acting minister for gender family and human rights, and acting minister of foreign affairs. During her tenure as a cabinet minister, she also headed many institutions, which included National Social Protection Agency, National Drug Agency and related institutions, Environment Protection Agency, Maldives Energy Authority, meteorological services, and the biosphere office and shouldered many national responsibilities that extended into international relations, social issues, environmental and climate-change challenges, health, disability, and aged care, among many others. She also held a chairmanship for WHO executive board and was the first Maldivian woman to address UN General Assembly. A doctoral graduate of Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia, at present she heads SIMDI Group of companies in Maldives as its CEO besides having strategic business/partnership links in Australia, Dubai, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Dr. Shakeela is also chairperson to several entities, including the Maldives Network to Empower Women (MNEW), Institute of Counselling and Psychotherapy (ICP), Addu Women’s Association (AWA), and International Medical and Diagnostic Centre (IMDC). She is also a member of Civil Service Action Group (CSAG) of UN Women. Her past experiences also extend into teaching different disciplines at primary, secondary, and tertiary level as well as developing and managing businesses interests ranging from wholesale/retail and managing international brands as exclusive agents, designing and interior work, medical services, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and education.