By Mariam Ibrahim
Monday, July 11, 2011
Hodan Yussuf came to Canada from Somalia and moved to Edmonton in 2003. She is now a facilitator with the Immigrant Women's Integration Network, helping others adjust to their new country. The program, put on through the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, helps women integrate into the community.
Photograph by: Candace Elliott, The Journal, Edmonton Journal
English was an unfamiliar language, and she didn't understand how the bus system worked -where to find schedules and how to pay. Taxi rides seemed incredibly expensive.
Discovering which offices issued health cards, immunization forms and a driver's licence took days or weeks -and when she did figure out where she needed to go, she didn't know how to get there. Having someone to give even simple tips would have made a huge difference, she said Sunday at a barbecue for a networking circle that does just that.
On Sunday, Kaha and her daughter blew bubbles and kicked a soccer ball at Victoria Park at the second annual barbecue.
Kaha used to need the help; now she's giving that help as a facilitator for the one-year-old Immigrant Women's Integration Network (I-WIN).
"I figured everything out on my own, and it took time," said Kaha, who asked that her last name not be printed. "Now, they've started this group. It'll make things easier for the next people."
The network was launched in July 2010 to bring immigrant women in the city together to share stories, experiences and help one another with their daily struggles as they navigate an unfamiliar city, said co-ordinator Katharine Laurie.
The Mennonite Centre for Newcomers's program, funded through Status of Women Canada, hosts twomonth workshops several times a year.
Women take part in a three-hour session each week about health concerns, educational opportunities and job upgrading.
"What we've seen is that all these women come here with all these skills. But they're really missing those social connections," Laurie said. "We help connect women to each other."
Through their weekly meetings, the network helps women determine what they have to offer and achieve the skills they need to find success in their new lives. The meetings give women a safe place to talk about family problems, practise their English and learn how to access the resources available.
Sunday's barbecue brought together past and present network clients speaking Arabic, Urdu, Somali and Spanish. Despite the soggy weather, dozens of volunteers set up tents and artists painted children's faces. Volunteers flipped halal beef, chicken and veggie burgers.
Immigrant women are often so busy helping children adjust to new schools and new cultures, they don't have time to develop the friendships and connections they need.
Hodan Yussuf left her mother behind in Somalia when she immigrated to Ontario in 1990. Her mother was her best friend, she said, and Canada was a lonely place without her.
She joined the women's network when she moved to Edmonton and grew close to members quickly. She now feels comfortable enough to share things she hasn't spoken about for more than two decades with people she met just last year.
"We can count on each other and we can relate," she said.
"It's acceptable to be yourself and just have a bad day. You can bring to the table anything that is hurting you but you usually wouldn't say."
Yussuf completed the social work program at Norquest College and now has a job as a network facilitator for I-WIN. She credits the women she has met along the way with her success.
"It was huge. (I joined when) I was at a stage where I needed transformation," Yussuf said.
"I had finished the course I was in and was looking for a job. And when I joined the group, I found a job. And not only that, I found women and friends who are now like family."
While the network hasn't secured funding to carry it forward beyond next year, Laurie said organizers have high hopes for its continuation.
"When you're working with women, you're dramatically increasing the success rate for the whole family," she explained.
"And by connecting people to each other, you can literally save people years from their lives."
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