Spring Newcomers Webinar held in Ontario
Newcomers Webinar for recent immigrants held in Ontario, May 15 2020 - Brampton, Ontario, Canada
The inaugural Spring Canada Newcomers Webinar in Ontario took place on Saturday May 9th 2020 at a well attended event which features 70 participants and 12 panelists. The online event was organized by Kenya Canadian Association. the webinar graced by representatives from various levels of Canadian government and program experts to address various issues affecting the newcomers in the face of COVID-19 pandemic.
Brampton Mayor Patrick brown representing the municipal and regional governments explained how various levels of Canadian Governments have stepped up and continued to collaborate as they coordinate crisis mitigation efforts in ways never experienced before to help Canadians and in turning the tables on COVID-19 pandemic. He felt great strides have been made within the City of Brampton through the COVID-19 containment measures that have been put in place t stop the community spread of the virus.
In her contribution, Brampton North MP Hon. Ruby Sahota outlined the various Federal Government COVID-19 benefits and newcomers interventions that are currently in place. She noted that there are unique challenges for newcomers in the face of COVID-19 crisis and assured them of the federal government's commitment to supporting them.
The Ontario legislative assembly was represented by Kitchener Centre MPP Laura Mae Lindo and York South-Weston MPP Faisal Hassan. MPP Laura who is also the critic for Citizenship and Immigration Services at the OLA jointly with MPP Faisal discussed with the attendees initiatives being implemented to support the newcomers and those affected by COVID-19 in Ontario.
The program experts included Immigration Lawyer Joshua Makori, Immigration Consultant Crystal Yoganath, Employment & Career Consultant Kabu Asante, Financial & Tax Consultant Swaleh N Abdallah, Registered Physiotherapist Dr. Florence Juma, Therappeutic Counsellor Eve Mpofu, real Estate Expert Rachael Oliver and Nutrition & Wellness Expert Nada St. Germain.
The Honorary Consul in Toronto Sunir Chandaria who was the guest speaker reiterated on the need for continued bilateral cooperation between Canada and Kenya in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and other issues of common interest. He applauded KCA for helping and supporting newcomers through programs to facilitate them a soft landing in Canada. He urged Kenyan Canadians to remain unified, establish and support an all inclusive community association to champion community issues so they can benefit from many opportunities for the new immigrants and the community at large. He also appealed for the streamlined engagement with the Consulate and the Mission Ottawa.
Kenya Canadian Association - KCA is a federal not-for-profit organization that seeks to address the issues affecting Canadians especially those of Kenya origin while assisting newcomers to settle and make a positive contribution in the society as they endeavor to achieve their goals.
KCA also focuses on implementing programs and offering services to newcomers, low-income minorities and communities of African descent or origin residing in Canada to improve their personal well-being and social-economic status. The KCA programs include Women & Gender Affairs, Health, Newcomer Settlement, Sports & Recreation, Socio-Economic Empowerment, Youth Outreach, Arts & Culture as well as Education & Careers.
The next newcommers webinar is expected to take place in summer this year