2018 Welcoming Ottawa Ambassadors
WOW Ambassador: Robert Sampson
Nominator: Clémence Naré and Ayokunle Ogundipe
The “Bobby Effect”
Robert (Bobby) Sampson puts his skills as a well-connected lawyer to great use helping newcomers transition to the Canadian workforce. He does this so well, that some of his mentee’s describe his impact as the “Bobby Effect”.
WOW Ambassador: Cheralyn Post
Nominator: Seka Wilfried Adon
Finding a family away from home
“When I arrived in the city in 2016 to study business at the University of Ottawa, I felt like I had landed in the middle of nowhere and was very lonely,” says Seka Wilfried Adon, an international student from the Ivory Coast.
WOW Ambassador: Farhad Derakhshan
Nominator: Mitra Taravat
Helping a newcomer from A to Z
When Mitra Taravat and her husband Amir came to Ottawa in May 2016, there are countless ways that fellow Iranian expatriate Farhad Derakhshan made a difference in her journey. “Farhad is such a great person that I can’t thank him enough,” explains Mitra.
WOW Ambassador: Jean Roberth Souza
Nominator: Priscila Gondim Alves
The power of social media to connect newcomers
“Jean Roberth Souza makes a difference as a very active volunteer within Ottawa’s Brazilian community,” says Priscila Gondim Alves. “He has assisted many newcomers to Ottawa, including myself, with his knowledge, goodwill, friendship and generosity of spirit.
WOW Ambassador: Justine Nkurunziza
Nominator: Justine Semonde
Connecting Burundian newcomers through WhatsApp
Justine Nkurunziza is an extraordinary woman. In her native Burundi, she was a human rights defender, especially for the rights of women and children. She also worked forAction Aid International in Burundi, before coming to Ottawa as a refugee in 2016. Justine has always had a driving passion to help others.
WOW Ambassador: Kelly McGahey
Nominator: Diane Tuyishime
Welcoming workplaces
“I arrived in Canada in May 2016 and first met Kelly McGahey in October of the same year,” says Diane Tuyishime, a newcomer from Burundi. We were matched through the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO) career mentoring program.
WOW Ambassador: Leocadie Kabogoye
Nominator: Christine Mukuna
Finding the right person to guide your integration path
“When you arrive in a country thousands of kilometres away from your home, where you hardly know anyone, and you have to start making the necessary steps to obtain a work permit, permanent residence status and eventually citizenship, there is nothing more enjoyable than to find the right person to help and guide you,” explains Christine Mukuna…
WOW Ambassador: Hanan Abu-Laban
Nominator: Houda Amine
An angel of welcome
When Hanan Abu-Laban, a charity director at the Ottawa Muslim Association, read a story about a woman in need on a local WhatsApp group, she knew she had to find a way to help her. Hanan, a Community Affairs and Charity Director at the Ottawa Muslim Association, has dealt with similar cases in the past. Over the last 15 years…
WOW Ambassador: Clare Glassco
Nominator: Wasim Soufi and Abdulaziz Aboud
The kindness and generosity of strangers
Before the civil war erupted in his country, Wasim Soufi studied English literature in Aleppo, Syria. His road to Canada was a long one. He fled Syria and worked for a few years in Saudia Arabia, but when his contract ended, Wasim knew returning to war torn Syria was not an option. Fortunately, Wasim had met a Canadian, Andrew Harvey, in Aleppo in 2006, and the two had become fast friends.
