Contents:
Loads of encouragement at no extra cost. Rodney Priddle is an average sort of small town guy from Beavertooth, Saskatchewan, who accepts the job of personal assistant to a vampire. Count Vladimir Vladi Baranowski is not your average vampire, however, as his naive joie de vivre and unending search for his place in the world leave him vulnerable to disappointments. As Rodney scrambles to stay ahead of everything that could go wrong f What happens when a bright young man's promising future is tragically derailed at the age of eighteen?
Thirty-five-year-old James Milligan, the solitary and impenetrable chief architect at one of Chicago's leading design firms, has never recovered from the gruesome death of his best friend nearly two decades before. He's learned that a distant heart is the only way to shut out the nagging guil Jeremy Roberts is suddenly a stranger in his own body with no memory of his life. He quickly relearns his name and his place i In the aftermath of a painful divorce that leaves her broken and cynical, forty-year-old city girl Ann Ralston seeks refuge in Heart House, a quaint Lake Huron cottage that she hopes will inspire her to write.
The relationship between Ann and Jaime intensifies over ti Unthinkable Cruelties; Insurmountable ObstaclesMany of us cannot imagine what it would be like to be deeply vulnerable and without protection in a poor and corrupt country. It is beyond the scope of what we know how to think. But for orphans and abused children in Haiti, this unimaginable nightmare is their daily reality. Life in Mississippi is very different from her old life, where she spent days beach-combing with her maternal grandmother and learning the lore of magic and history.
She struggles to understand her strange surroundings and the hate that some of the white people in town seem to have toward her. Then Hurricane Camille comes barreling toward the coast and changes everything, bringing Ruba and her family a measure of justice and a new acceptance. The Broken Bridge by Philip Pullman Already struggling for self-identity as a teenager, a gifted artist, and almost the only dark-skinned person she knows, the news that her mother may still be alive makes Ginny resolve to search for the answers to her past.
Other noteworthy YA books about Haiti include: The following two tabs change content below. Latest posts by Sharon Rawlins see all. Thanks for letting me know. He soon realized that not being fluent in English would limit his ability to participate fully in Canadian public life. He studied their English translation with them at every opportunity. In , he entered Laurentian University as a mature student and won the Miller Scholarship in Looking at Canada from a U.
Ruprecht felt compelled to keep this kind of Canada united and hold it up as a beacon of freedom and co-existence where diversity is recognized as strength. As the rhetoric of Quebec independence and consequent break-up of Canada heated up, he entered public life as a Metro Toronto councillor in In , he was elected MPP for Parkdale and, in , appointed as minister of citizenship responsible for multiculturalism.
He then invited all ethno-cultural communities to submit a list of qualified names for appointments to boards and commissions. It is a guidebook to the multicultural character of the city, featuring profiles of more than 60 ethnic communities, including local histories, festivals, food and art. The book identifies each community — where its people came from, why, when and where they settled in Toronto. In , the Quebec independence movement again threatened to break up Canada. It turned out that this action was significant since this second referendum for Quebec independence was defeated by less than half a percentage point.
In , Ruprecht left active politics. He now advises a number of governments on how to improve public health. He devotes his life to the scientific discoveries of improved health and life extension. He has written three books on the subject: Tinashe Mafukidze is a Toronto-based impact designer and systems entrepreneur, born in Zimbabwe, and raised in Burundi, Kenya and Canada.
Her practice focuses on curating customized solutions and supports for people and projects in Canada and the world that seek to drive systems level impact, innovation and change. She has served on local and international boards and committees dedicating her efforts on social enterprise, inclusion, migration, gender-based analysis and health. In , she co-founded CatalystsX to equip young innovators and the social enterprise ecosystem in Ontario and across Canada.
Whether it was through working on scalable cross-sectoral solutions to address unemployment challenges affecting immigrant communities or leading innovative strategies to engage the most underserved youth, she has carried her entrepreneurial spirit as an intrapreneur.
She studied political science at Concordia University and project management at Ryerson University. Mafukidze is currently working as the senior manager, operations and innovation for the Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange project at York University, where her work is focused on systems design, organizational effectiveness and strategic partnerships. She is also exploring the power of the social, intellectual and financial capital of the migrant in brokering opportunities that bridge the global socio-economic divides. Peterborough, Ontario Country of Origin: Sultan Moni moved to Canada from Abu Dhabi in while in high school.
Upon graduating high school, Moni started a business consulting company: Central Dominion, which helped new immigrants and international students successfully start a business in Canada. In , Moni went on to publish his debut novel, Let the Heart Beat , a fictional novel that tells a story of a young kid battling cancer. In , Moni founded Zatiq, a technology startup based out of Peterborough, Ontario, that leverages advanced technologies to personalize the food discovery and dining experience.
In , Moni made his first debut in the entertainment industry with his reality TV comedy cooking show, Master of Disaster: Disaster chef tries to cook. Aside from his ventures, Moni also founded Meal for Everyone, a non-profit organization that helps feed the homeless, and students of Peterborough, a student-run group that crowd funds a small amount every three months to support a local project.
Moni is also known to sponsor and support various student run events and projects in his community. Moni, a year-old entrepreneur, author, TV star and philanthropist has already impacted the lives of many while still being a full-time computer and business student at Trent University, all within a short span of five years since moving to Canada. London, Ontario Country of Origin: As a year-old, Sukhmeet Sachal has accomplished more than many do in a lifetime. Yet through all his achievements, he continues to embrace a humble demeanour.
He is a budding benevolent leader who has a passion to make a difference in this world.
At the age of six, he immigrated with his family to Canada from India. Here, he settled down in Surrey, B. In elementary and high school, he got involved with the community in all different aspects, which led him to becoming the class valedictorian. As a result, he was offered scholarships from various universities across Canada.
When she and her husband found out that their daughter was diagnosed with autism when she was one and half years old, hardships escalated, and Jiang found herself a single mother. However, in the year , with the turmoil that was starting to develop in Venezuela, and hoping for a better and safer future for their kids, they applied for Canadian residency. During June, Jisri along with many volunteers worked all as a team on organizing a massive Ramadan project, Ramadan Baskets. Her early career as a medical laboratory technologist helped define her as a young adult and prepared her for an unexpected journey. Currently, he has arranged housing for an additional 13 former refugees and is hoping to raise support to bring in many more. Throughout her remarkable career, Magnotta has been bestowed many awards of distinction including the following philanthropic honours:. When a Syrian family of 13 arrived in Swift Current, Khalife began getting involved in many capacities other than translating.
Ultimately, he chose to complete his undergraduate studies at McGill University in anatomy and cell biology. In his first year, he was elected by his peers as the president of the Freshmen Undergraduate Science Society. He was also selected as the academic director of the Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity for which he represented his university at the Academy of Leadership in to St. After completing his undergraduate degree, he decided to take some time off and volunteer around the world.
In September , he was selected as one of 60 students to join an eight-month master of public health program at Western University in London, Ontario. He achieved great success in his program where he was selected as the class representative by his peers for his leadership skills and he hosts his own radio show on good health and well-being. He has been selected for an internship this upcoming summer with the Public Health Agency of Canada to discover the link between climate change, the increased prevalence of infectious diseases and mental health.
Additionally, he works with the Canadian Public Health Association in a working group addressing the ecological determinants of health. If he does not already have a lot on his plate, he is also working with a few of his professors in publishing academic papers and planning a project with the World Health Organization.
On top of being an excellent academic student, his extensive list of extracurricular activities and volunteering initiatives are equally impressive. In high school, he started a club called Students Without Borders after he noticed different cliques forming. Also, he has embarked on several medical mission trips to Ghana and Uganda, where he fundraised for hygiene kits and basic medical supplies.
Volunteers consisted of various medical professionals who teamed up with local medical practitioners and with the excellent support from many young student volunteers, like him, they provided much needed medical services to over 20, patients. Upon his return to Canada, he shared the knowledge he gained in hopes of inspiring other youth in British Columbia by creating a short documentary about his trip. Last year, Sachal embarked on a trip to the Arctic for six months to volunteer and teach Indigenous youth sciences and help them graduate. He hopes to return to this community in the future as a physician.
And his new organization, Break The Divide, is connecting high school Indigenous youth in the Northwest Territories with youth across British Columbia to create cross-cultural dialogue. North Vancouver Country of Origin: She is the founder of Science in Action, a free science outreach program that has involved more than 1, volunteers and has reached more than , kids, many of them from Aboriginal communities and inner-city schools. As a mother of two and a recent grandmother, Lavieri serves as a role model to women aspiring to achieve impact in the profession while maintaining a commendable work-life balance.
In her spare time, Lavieri loves bringing happiness to our elderly by singing at retirement homes with Chemsemble, the choir she founded. Leaving Venezuela in was not an easy decision. Although her husband and two children had joined her while she was a visiting professor at the University of Florida, they never thought as probably never did millions of other Venezuelans that they would have to emigrate permanently. However, in the year , with the turmoil that was starting to develop in Venezuela, and hoping for a better and safer future for their kids, they applied for Canadian residency.
They were surprised that it was granted in less than three months, even skipping the interviews! Canada is now home with capital H for them. Lavieri was quickly hired at Simon Fraser University. The hiring committee was impressed by her innovative and interactive teaching style, beating out excellent candidates from other top universities.
Having taught thousands of university students over the course of her career, Lavieri decided to reach out to others beyond the university confines. Her goal was simple: Her impact in the community has been featured in numerous national and international articles and TV segments. Lavieri has a B. Director, Symbiosis Pediatric Therapy City: Shalini Das is an occupational therapist and behavior consultant, as well as the owner and founder of Symbiosis Pediatric Therapy Inc. Das has devoted her career to making a difference for children with special needs and their families.
She has helped countless children learn to maximize their potential in roles such as playing, going to school and learning with their peers. Born in India, Das came to Canada in with her family, looking for a better work-life balance. Seeing a shortage of services for children with special needs and insufficient levels of support for their families in the Lower Mainland, Das started Symbiosis Pediatric Therapy Inc.
Das has more than 20 years of experience in the health care industry, working primarily with children, making her a strong advocate for providing timely and quality clinical services to children with various special needs. She has a strong foundation of theoretical and clinical professional knowledge, which has helped her to grow her professional career from a therapist to a business owner, establishing her as a role model in the disability sector. Das is a strong advocate for creating awareness of autism and other special needs in the society.
She is involved in many activities which include presentations and dissemination of information in different parent support groups, autism societies, and schools. She believes that greater public awareness and education about children with special needs can break through walls of discomfort to promote greater understanding.
Senator for Ontario, the Senate of Canada City: She came to Canada from Iran in and her own experiences of displacement, integration and citizen engagement have been the foundation of her work. GDX is a think-and-do tank on diversity, migration and inclusion that connects local experience and ideas with global networks. It is dedicated to building a community of international leaders who see prosperity in migration. Previously, Senator Omidvar was the president of Maytree, where she played a lead role in local, national and international efforts to promote the integration of immigrants.
Senator Omidvar is co-author of Flight and Freedom: Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success To honour her contributions, she received an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, York University in , was appointed to the Order of Ontario in and became a member of the Order of Canada in In , she received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of German-Canadian relations. In , she also received Lifetime Achievement Awards from CivicAction and the Canadian Urban Institute, honouring her strong commitment to civic leadership and city building.
Mechanical design engineer City: Eleven years at Octaform has allowed Semion Krivulin to flourish as a talented, creative designer. Krivulin obtained this title throughout many years of creating industrial designs that are progressive in the fast moving construction industry. He has successfully patented 43 designs, including the plastic shopping basket we use all across North America. The thinking behind his designs has always been to help people and make their live easier.
What is more impressive is that he came from Ukraine, aged 42 with basic English. Although very qualified, he had to deliver pizzas when he first arrived to support his wife and two young children. He took this in his stride and used it to improve his English and absorb the Canadian culture. One of the sources of support Krivulin credits his personal achievements from has come from the Brit Lions Rugby Club, and his passion for the sport. Throughout the years, he has stepped back from active participation, however remaining an avid fan. This same passion is also evident in his social reaches within the company; he is helpful, friendly and courteous with every member of the team, as well has having a great sense of humour.
Cancer physician with CancerCare Manitoba City: Winnipeg Country of Origin: Saroj Niraula was born in the Himalayan country of Nepal. After completing his specialist training back in Asia, he came to Canada nine years ago as a trainee at the University of Toronto. For the past five years, he has been a cancer physician and affiliate scientist with CancerCare Manitoba and University of Manitoba.
Besides his everyday clinical responsibilities as the leader of breast disease site in the provincial cancer institute, he contributes to world-class cancer research for advancement of cancer treatment globally. He has designed, conducted and reported a few cancer clinical trials, and is the local principal investigator for several international collaborative clinical trials of women with breast cancer.
He is also extensively published in international peer-reviewed medical journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Lancet Oncology among others, where he enjoys reporting his research on importance of balance between the benefits and harms of new cancer drugs. He is keenly interested in navigating ways to improve access to cancer drugs in resource-deprived settings of developing nations, and about sustainability of increasing cost of cancer treatment.
He is an active member and volunteer at ASCO, the largest umbrella organization of 45, international cancer physicians and professionals. His volunteer and humanitarian roles are mainly through his field of professional expertise: If he had to pick one out of countless perks Canada has to offer, he says that would undoubtedly be the universal health care system where all citizens can have access to the world-class health care regardless of their socio-economic status.
He dreams of one day witnessing such system extend beyond developed countries like Canada and reach the poorest of nations in Asia and Africa where hundreds of thousands of people lose their lives every year in the absence of mere basics of health care. Be it extrinsic source of human suffering such as injustice and various inequalities, or intrinsic source of human misery such as natural disasters and diseases like cancer, being able to offer a helping hand to fellow humans in need provides Dr.
Niraula with the greatest sense of achievement and purpose in life. Sam Samarth Mod is the co-founder and CEO of FreshWorks Studio, an award-winning Victoria- and Vancouver-based firm working in the space of digital transformation and specializing in designing and developing mobile and web apps. They are currently ranked 1 in B. FreshWorks is currently still hiring frantically to properly resource for work already booked in FreshWorks had four times year over year revenue growth from while maintaining healthy and sustainable margins.
FreshWorks is currently ranked 1 in BC and 3 in Canada for top app developers mobile and web by Clutch, which is arguably the most reputable global directory for development companies. FreshWorks expanded to larger office downtown Victoria at Broughton St. He is extremely proud to be creating so many jobs, especially considering he only arrived in Canada five years ago to attend university for his MBA.
Mod also sponsored and created a project for the fourth-year BCom students to give back to the University of Victoria and encourage social entrepreneurship. FreshWorks proposed a ride sharing application for teams to develop which provided a community service by coordinating carpools for BC Ferries foot passengers. Along with other employees they devoted many hours teaching students how to combine software development with social enterprise.
Mississauga Country of Origin: Before SAV, Jisri travelled to Syrian Refugee Camps in Turkey and Jordan to volunteer his time to provide support for those who fled their wartorn countries; he translated for news outlets and raised awareness about the conditions of the refugees. Jisri also actively blogged to provide a platform for the vulnerable to voice their narratives and experiences.
He opened the largest centre for computer sales and maintenance in Mississauga, Smart Buy Company. His other positions include working as an art director in the virtual tour department at the international company, IPIX, and also as an instructor at the Arts and Graphic institution.
Now, Jisri spends his time working on expanding SAV to aid and support immigrants and refugees. As an entrepreneur, teacher, humanitarian and manager, the following accomplishments have allowed Jisri to equip himself with the necessary skills required to build an organization that helped and supported the incoming refugees and immigrants settling in Mississauga, Ontario specifically. Jisri had a vision to help those in need and by January of , that vision started to become a reality. In December of , Jisri had established a sizable centre for accepting donations including various clothing, shoes, non-perishable food items and various items for infants.
Jisri was honoured to have been amongst those who welcomed the Syrian refugees to Toronto. To help them start their lives in a completely different country, many volunteers, including Jisri, provided transportation services, translation and generally creating a support system for the newcomers. Jisri also founded, with many others, the Syrian Advisory Council and is currently also a member.
In January of , Jisri expanded SAV to include more than volunteers for relief and voluntary work in areas such as translation, social relations, settling and transportation. During June, Jisri along with many volunteers worked all as a team on organizing a massive Ramadan project, Ramadan Baskets. In this project, the goal was to provide Syrians with food essentials for the month of Ramadan. More than 1, Ramadan baskets were given out to families. Postdoctoral research scholar City: Sali Farhan completed her bachelor of science and her PhD in genetics and biochemistry at Western University.
Today, Farhan is excelling in her career, however, life was not always simple and rewarding for her and her family. Her parents, faced with the uncertainty and turmoil that a future in Iraq held for their four children, decided to flee the country. Unfortunately, this proved to be a very challenging and tragic task as the family of six had to endure life as Iraqi refugees under the Syrian government.
On December 2, , the Farhans landed in Canada and began their next chapter as newcomers, and four years later, as Canadian citizens. Farhan attributes all her academic accomplishments to the sacrifices her parents made for her and her siblings, who are also in the process of completing their doctoral degrees. Her parents have endured tragic events yet continue to support their daughters throughout their academic and personal goals. As a young female immigrant, Farhan is always advocating for other immigrants, especially refugees, to be given the same opportunities her parents provided her.
She has mentored young female scientists, advocated for children and refugees as part of UNICEF, as well as participated in global teaching programs. Assistant vice-president, facilities management and development, Ryerson University City: An engineer and leader of construction projects in the broader public sector, she has been building spaces and structures in collaboration with her communities; and building inclusion by championing women in her profession and encouraging girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM as academic and professional disciplines.
She is a highly regarded mentor, an expert in change management, and a sought-after speaker known for engagement with industry and organizations dedicated to opportunity, innovation and progress. Fazilat joined Ryerson University as assistant vice-president, facilities management and development in — the latest step in an increasingly prominent career over the 18 years she has been in Canada. At Ryerson, she oversees staff on six teams with a range of responsibilities including infrastructure currently projects ranging from planning, design and construction of two new buildings at Ryerson to campus renewal, renovation and maintenance ; consultation and strategic direction for city-building initiatives; health and safety; and comprehensive sustainability.
From June to July , Fazilat served Western University as executive director of facilities development and engineering where she led construction, property and energy projects. She is a frequent speaker and participant at industry and policy events, deeply respected for her input on issues and strategic suggestions on ways to move the yardsticks further along together. Examples include a Toronto Region Board of Trade panel on city-building where she provided opening remarks; the Canada Green Building Council Lasting Change Conference; the Construction Resource Initiatives Council mission to eliminate construction, renovation and demolition waste to landfill sites by ; and events focused on improving the bottom line for businesses, green real estate, climate change, low carbon buildings, and more.
Prime among these vital causes, Fazilat believes we have serious work to do in building engagement in STEM among girls and women. As a group of disciplines, science, technology, engineering and mathematics are acknowledged catalysts in innovation and progress — and female students and professionals in these areas are seriously underrepresented. Although statistically women earn a larger share of conferred degrees, in science and technology they earn fewer degrees than men — so there is a fundamental problem that needs to be addressed. She believes there are systemic barriers at a young age that typically discourage young girls from entering STEM, and it is essential to find an approach to turn this around.
As a role model, leading example and passionate advocate for girls and women in STEM, she speaks out about the critical need for parents and teachers to support and encourage girls to explore STEM fields from an early age. She believes the biggest obstacles for girls in STEM are bias and stereotypes, for example often girls do not know anyone in these fields or have an impression about these subjects that could be countered with knowledge and involvement. Rossana Di Zio Magnotta is founder and CEO of Magnotta Winery, the third largest winery in Ontario and the most award-winning winery in Canada with more than 4, awards for product excellence.
She has also launched G.
Marquis, a collection of premium wines and Icewines with a unique, authentic personality, available at the LCBO. And, in a bold move, she acquired the wine assets of Kittling Ridge, which has allowed her to double her stores and grow her product portfolio. Under her leadership, Magnotta products have also expanded into global markets including the United States, China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Over the last few years, the company has launched an unprecedented number of new products to join its long line of more than wines. Most of all, she identified long ago the need to demystify wine by empowering consumers with product knowledge which has proven to be a key component to her branding success.
For more than two decades she has also been passionate about health care. Her early career as a medical laboratory technologist helped define her as a young adult and prepared her for an unexpected journey.
The Children of Injustice: One Haitian Canadian Woman's Memoir of Healing [ Ruth Auguste] on www.farmersmarketmusic.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Buy The Children of Injustice: One Haitian Canadian Woman's Memoir of Healing : Read 1 Books Reviews - www.farmersmarketmusic.com
Through her winery, she has launched awareness campaigns and fund raising initiatives from annual events to charity wines and works diligently with the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation as a member of the board. Today, her heart and soul is devoted to the G. Magnotta Foundation for Vector-Borne Diseases, a non-profit organization Rossana established to change the way Lyme disease is tested and treated in Canada.
It has just launched the G. Throughout her remarkable career, Magnotta has been bestowed many awards of distinction including the following philanthropic honours:. Whitby, Ontario Country of Origin: It has emerged as a bold, innovative platform that leads the way in featuring diverse aspects of the Black Canadian community. Dundas has served the Black Canadian community in several different capacities, but mostly relating to the promotion of Black excellence through arts and media. In , he and six other promoters formed their own collective to revive Black entertainment at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.
He was successful in bringing a number of hit plays to the stage. He is also the creative director of Media Group, scouting and managing new branding, and publicity of clients. He is the proud father of two young children, six-year-old Chase and two-year-old Marley Rose. Right now, he is in the middle of working on the Father Project — an online photo series that highlights Black Canadian men talking about how their relationship with their father affects how they parent.
Dundas has also been a dedicated youth mentor, being a guest speaker at events such as the Branded TO Youth Event, and he has also employed young people and acted as a mentor to them through the YMCA. Most people describe Dundas as the ultimate champion of connections. He is passionate about helping young black entrepreneurs thrive by introducing them to not only the right people, but the right attitudes and commitment to excellence as a way of life. In , he was bestowed a Men of Honour Award by the Black Business Professional Association, one of the highest honours in the African Canadian community, attended by the Prime Minister and other dignitaries.
In , he was part of a lobby group made up of Black Canadian organizations who spent an entire day on Parliament Hill convincing the Canadian government to formally recognize the United Nations Decade for People of African Descent. In January , he was among others present in Ottawa when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada would, in fact, recognize the decade. In February , Dundas received a special commendation from Prime Minister Trudeau, a personally signed certificate recognizing his contribution to the African Canadian community through his work.
Like many Black Canadians, Dundas has persevered in the face of racism. His dedication to strategic growth and ethical reporting propelled him to the executive director, finance and chief financial officer role by , inclusive of the interim general manager role between and He was also appointed an assistant deputy minister in Bissoondatt leads a team of approximately staff and is accountable for the annual financial plan for a government branch that employs 4, people, is one of the largest retailers in B. His knowledge and experience of the complex liquor distribution landscape and dedication to community activism make him a highly respected leader at the LDB and amongst peers across the country from other liquor jurisdictions.
His valuable leadership and involvement on steering committees for every LDB- and government-liquor initiative over 15 years has contributed to the overall success of the LDB. His dedication to public service at the LDB for more than 25 years and holistic approach to budgetary needs and capital trends consistently realizes exceeding revenue targets set by government. Bissoondatt is passionate about developing potential and talent in youths, evidenced by his tenure on parent advisory committees for three schools lasting 12 years. Also, his activism is deeply felt by his community where for more than 30 years he has served at the Burnaby Youth Secure Custody Centre as an organizing member of their Christmas Dinner.
His dedication in developing and maintaining a stable financial environment for local Knights of Columbus Council, a social and intellectual fellowship, culminated in his appointment to district deputy in recognition of his long-standing work with the organization. As district deputy, he was responsible for the effective and efficient operations of five Knights of Columbus Councils in the Greater Vancouver Area.
Bissoondatt received his bachelor of science degree from the University of British Columbia before completing his chartered accounting and certified management accounting designations. Prior to joining the LDB, Roger worked in public practice at Grant Thornton and a short stint in the private sector, leading financial budgeting and auditing functions. Halifax Country of Origin: Rana Zaman is a recognized leader, speaker and event co-ordinator on topics of racism, feminism, bullying, poverty and Islamophobia. Due to her high level of activism, she has been recognized with the following awards: People in need actively seek out her help and support as she is known as a generous giver and advocate.
She also helped create a new coats drive for the homeless. Her positive presence and role model like qualities have been inspiring for youth and fellow immigrants. Every person that she comes into contact with feels the sincerity of her generosity and willingness to go above and beyond. She is quick to stand up in the face of inequality and injustice as she has encountered and overcome adversity to become a strong leader.
Zaman has led the way with her strong moral character, tenacity and big heart, and continues to mentor and encourage others to become powerful, passionate leaders in their communities, too. Owner, Vidya Learning Centre City: Brampton Country of Origin: Radhika Dutta is the owner of an after-school program for children called Vidya Learning Centre.
She currently has four locations in Brampton, Ontario, and has expanded this business tremendously in the last couple of years. She began this business venture in when she was just 23 years old and has been serving the community ever since. Dutta has an education background in India, America and Canada. She holds a degree in psychology from the University of Texas in Austin and has an executive development certification from McGill University.
She began her education business a year after she graduated and moved to Canada where she saw the help students needed in her community. She encourages and serves as an excellent role model for the future generations of the Brampton community. Dutta has helped many of the Brampton community students reach their goals and her main objective is to motivate and help students, thus shaping the minds of our future leaders.
She has also provided job opportunities to numerous teachers and given them the initial training and experience required to provide excellent teaching services. Dutta has accomplished and helped numerous people in the community ranging from busy parents, new immigrants and children. Being an immigrant herself, she understands the importance of having a strong academic background to excel in a new country.
Her parents moved to North America to give her a better education and provide her with new opportunities. Education has been a focal point in her journey and she aims to provide the future generation with the same values and experience that will help them succeed. She also helps busy immigrant parents who experience a language barrier and helps them bridge the gap so they are better equipped in helping their children academically.
She is a great mentor for the youth, is constantly striving to provide the best service and works hard to make sure that the community that she is serving benefits from her efforts. She is currently working on expanding and opening more learning centres targeting areas in other parts of Ontario where the need for such programs is essential.
With her vision and enthusiasm, she will definitely drive Canada forward in the future. Educator, facilitator, social justice activist, performing artist City: As an educator, transformative facilitator, social justice activist and humanitarian, Priti Gami Shah brings 30 years of experience and insights to her advocacy work for equity, justice and peace. Her activism and political advocacy has been shaped by her upbringing in India and her experiences as a racialized immigrant in Canada. This inequity inspired her to establish Drishti Consulting.
Over the last 30 years, she has been working with non-profit organizations, public sector unions, governments, interfaith organizations and grassroots collectives. She encourages organizations to practise intersectionality understanding of how overlapping identities including race, class, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation impact the way oppression is experienced.
For six years, she co-ordinated a coalition of internationally educated professionals called Capacity BC, which advocated for recognition of international credentials. In her work with the Interfaith Institute on justice, peace and social movements, she co-led innovative partnerships with diverse interfaith groups. One of the most significant partnerships was with Indigenous communities.
This relationship led to the creation of the film Hidden Legacies, which focused on the intergenerational impact of residential schools.