A settlement agency got me my first job in Canada as a meat clerk. Since then, I’ve helped other newcomers in Kelowna get on their feet.
“I came across Kelowna Community Resources, a non-profit that helps immigrants settle in Kelowna, the following year. I joined their employment training program and, with their help, landed a job as a meat clerk at a grocery store. I wasn’t bitter about working a minimum-wage job—I was earning more than I did back home. In the coming months, I got to know my co-workers, many of whom were newcomers struggling with English. I started a volunteer group to help them practise. We met in libraries or parks, and I even prepared short lesson plans to guide our conversations.”