Susan Cakmak: The Joys of Being an EAL Tutor Volunteer
As a volunteer tutor at ISANS, Susan Cakmak has taught nearly 100 people. And through the connections she’s made with students, her world has expanded greatly. English as an Additional Language (EAL) programming is a cornerstone of ISANS’ services, as being unable to communicate effectively in English is a barrier many of our clients…
Read MoreAbdul: Giving Back
ISANS serves over 10,000 clients every year. Some clients are with us for a month, some a year, and some, like Abdul, stay much longer. Abdul is ISANS’ Immigrant Health and Disability Program Coordinator. He provides clients with an orientation on the Canadian healthcare system and helps connect them to healthcare resources. He was also…
Read MoreMervat Harb: Learning a new Language
Mervat Harb and her family came to Nova Scotia seven years ago. She was 16 years old, living in a new country, in a new part of the world that prominently spoke a language she didn’t know. But with the help of ISANS’ Young Adult Language Class, she soon found her voice in Canada. “I…
Read MoreMichael Campbell: Bringing Diversity to Dalhousie University
Over the past 12 years, Dalhousie University’s Custodial Services has seen a significant increase in the overall diversity of its workforce. In that time, the team has shifted from approximately 20 percent international workers to well over 50 percent, largely thanks to Michael Campbell and the partnership he and his team have formed with ISANS.…
Read MoreGutu’s Story
Lurinda Swanepoel: Business on the Brain
There is much to be gained by moving to a new country, but at the same time, many things must be left behind. For Lurinda Swanepoel, emigrating meant selling a business ten years in the making. Yet with all her experience, she was able to start a new business here in Nova Scotia in a…
Read MoreAddisu Bayisa: Still Learning
Addisu Bayisa is an excellent example that you are never too old to be a student. At 29 years old, he is currently a student here at Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), learning English as an additional language. Addisu is originally from Ethiopia, but was processed as a refugee in Kenya. His first…
Read MoreRuth Nkemjika Onyeajam: A passion for healthcare
After taking part in ISANS’s Bridge to Work: Long-Term Care Aide pilot program, Ruth is now pursuing her Continuing Care Assistants (CCA) certificate. On track to get this certificate next year, Ruth then wants to go on to become a nurse. In Nigeria, Ruth worked as an early childhood educator, but her childhood dream was…
Read MoreHelping to build a welcoming and inclusive province: Roshanak Sadeghi-Zadeh
Mentors played a huge role in helping Roshanak Sadeghi-Zadeh settle in Canada, and now she is assisting others by being a mentor and practice interviewer at ISANS. “Mentors really impacted my life,” says Roshanak. “They empowered me to find my way in this big scary new world when I first came to Canada.” Roshanak had…
Read MoreHelping to build a welcoming & inclusive province: John Deans
John Deans was lying on the couch one day in 2015 when he heard an appeal on the radio for volunteers to help resettle Syrian refugees. “I’d never done anything like this,” he says. “I immediately called the 211 number, thinking I’d just help out a bit.”John was assigned to the Bayers Lake distribution centre…
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