Naomi Tami, vibrant and full of life celebrating her birthday in Taiwan with her family.
The Naomi Tami Memorial Scholarship Fund honours the memory of Naomi Tami. The following was written by Pierre Tami in memory of his daughter, Omi.
7th of May is a time to remember, to be grateful for our family having been entrusted with Omi for 23 years. It is a time to reflect on the precious time spent together and the fun we had together. Today, I happened to stumble on a mail exchange in 2009 we had with Omi. She was 19 then, in Switzerland at the hotel management school.
I had sent her a picture of a drop of water falling into the water and creating the famous ripple effect. I wrote to her: ‘Remember you are small but can make a lot of waves…stay focused and be courageous!’
Omi took that encouragement and weaved it further into her reflection, she responded a few days later saying: ‘I think of my commitment to pursue things even when it is hard…. my uniqueness like my heart condition… I am fragile like the wing of the butterfly and that reminds me that God is in control and that he is stronger than me… and that God gave me wings so now it is time to fly. Oh and also my favourite is that the flaps of a butterfly create tornadoes halfway across the world… Ever since I was little dad always said I would be a leader of the world and create change, even though I am small.”
Omi was convinced that she had within herself the ability to shape her own destiny and that of others. She knew she didn’t need to be a mighty leader or a famous and strong person to have a significant impact on the world around her.
The picture I sent her was of the single drop, that falling into the water creates ripples, and those ripples spread. Like a drop in the vast ocean, each of us causes ripples as we move through our lives. The effects of whatever we do, insignificant as it may seem, spread beyond ourselves, and, we may never know what far-reaching impact a simple action might have on our fellow men.
Today, as I read this mail, I was just reflecting on the legacy of Omi after her passing. For example, on May 7th last year, our family launched the Naomi Tami Memorial Scholarship Fund, set up to enable economically disadvantaged youth to enroll in the Academy of Culinary Arts Cambodia. Today, ten young people are enrolled. Their future is being shaped, thanks to a drop of water, a small choice that friends and family around the world made by contributing to this fund.
“Each choice we make causes a ripple effect in our lives. When things happen to us, it is the reaction we choose that can create the difference between the sorrows of our past and the joy in our future.” – Chelle Thompson
Our family wanted to allow Naomi’s life to continue to impact others as she envisioned and believed, we chose to channel our love, emotions, sorrow and the love of her friends to create ripples, to impact lives. We celebrate today, Naomi’s life and determination to cause a ripple effect in our lives, in your lives and the lives of more to come.