Multicultural Women’s Organization of NL (MWONL)

(Established in 1982)

Making Connections and Mapping SystemsServices and Supports for Immigrants and Refugees

Kaberi Sarma-Debnath, RSW

Executive Director

MWONL

Nov 15, 2017

About MWONL

Non-profit organization, delivers gender-

based culturally appropriate services that

facilitate the integration and full

participation of immigrant and newcomer

women and their families in the

community.

Migration is not an easy thing to do which involves lots of stress.

Adjusting in a new society

Leaving job, friends and family behind

Learning a new language

Finding place to live, jobs, and learn to survive in

what seems like a different world.

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Migration and Challenges

separation from family members

isolation

lack of recreation

cultural barriers

fear of deportation

Migration and Challenges

4

Migration and Challenges (cont.)

Our Mandate

To achieve equality and advancement for

immigrants and newcomer women and their

families of different cultural and linguistically

diverse background. MWONL also assist them

in integration and more participation in the

community and to become contributing members

of Canadian society.

Programs are▪ gender-based

▪ culturally competent

▪ comprehensive

▪ easily accessible

▪ offered by professional staffs and

supported by committed board members

and volunteers.

Our GoalsTo empower the immigrant and newcomer

women and families to participate our gender-

based culturally appropriate support and

programs.

#1 MWONL History Video

Funding

The MWONL is funded by:

- Women’s Policy Office for our core programs.

- For seniors project from Department of

Children, Seniors and Social Development,

Community Healthy Living Fund

- Small donations, fundraising and sometimes

small project grants are our another source

of funding.

MWONL’s Support and Services

for

Immigrant’s and Newcomers Women

and Families

•to provide social support to the immigrant and newcomer women and families in the province

•to identify the needs of women from diverse background and to find solutions to the issues and challenges they are facing

•to increase public awareness on the status of immigrant women in the province and in Canada

•to promote changes where necessary to improve the quality of their lives

MWONL’s Support and Services for

Immigrant’s and Newcomers Women and Families

Programs and Services

Career Development and Employment Support

Health and Wellness Programs

Trans-Cultural Competency & Awareness

(TCCA) Training

Leadership and Skills development

Professional Social Work counseling and

support

Seniors and Youth programs

Programs and Services (cont.)

Volunteer opportunities

Community Partnership

Basic Computer Training

Resource directory (a listing of interpreters)

Newsletter

Transcultural Competency and Awareness (TCCA) Sessions for service providers.

Diversity counselling Transition in Career Development Programs for

newcomers

Client Groups served

The people who received our services were from different counties of origin which included:

- Mexico, Bangladesh, China, Canada, Columbia, Egypt, Liberia, Libya, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Nigeria, Nepal, Philippines, Peru, Sri Lanka and Canada and many more countries.

Media Coverage

The article published in VOCM on March 20, 2016 about the "Get together event for

Syrian newcomer women and their families" on Friday March 11 at MWONL

Office. Zaren Healey White from MUN International Student Advisor kindly wrote and

published this article,

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=61314&latest=1

"The Multicultural Women's Organization of Newfoundland and Labrador wants

newcomer women and their families to know that their organization is here to help. The

group recently hosted a get together and socializing event for Syrian newcomer women

and their families at their office at 44 Torbay Road. With the assistance of an Arabic

translator, the organization welcomed newcomers, providing information on the work

they do, links to other community partners, such as the Refugee and Immigrant Advisory

Council and the Association for New Canadians, and provided an opportunity for the

women and their families to meet new people and introduce themselves. There was even

a clown to entertain the kids.The organization's Executive Director Kaberi Sarma-

Debnath says they provide many services, including career development and employment

support, health and wellness programs, violence prevention services, trans-cultural

competency and awareness training, among many others.

The Multicultural Women's Organization is a non-profit organization that provides

gender-based, culturally appropriate services to immigrant and newcomer women and

their families. It is funded through the Women's Policy Office of the provincial

government."

Trans-Cultural Competency and Awareness (TCCA) Training and for

Service Providers

This Cultural Competency and Awareness

Training is designed to share knowledge to

multiple service providers about the unique

needs of minority, underserved immigrant

women and their families.

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Trans-Cultural Competency and Awareness (TCCA)

Learning Objectives

Our aims:

to train service providers to learn the unique needs ofcultural differences.

to assist them to be better equipped to serve immigrantsand diverse populations.

to teach intercultural skills that increase one’sunderstanding and ability to work with people fromdiverse cultural backgrounds.

to help in identifying cultural differences in clients and co-workers and learn its impact

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Trans-Cultural Competency and Awareness (TCCA)

Why it is important

• There is an increasing diversity in Newfoundland and Labrador.

• Cultural Competency knowledge helps in - preparing service providers more responsive and

aware to a community made up of diverse cultures.

- raises understanding of cultural diversity and human rights as keys to strong and healthy communities.

- help service provides and the immigrant community to understand more clearly how we interact with each other

•

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Needs of Cultural Awareness

Three components to cross cultural Education

Knowledge

Attitude Skill

CROSS-CULTURAL EDUCATION

Why is Cultural Competency

Important?

Help service providers

➢ to be more knowledgeable immigrants

cultural practices

➢to reduce communication barriers

Steps to Becoming Culturally Competent

Individuals working with different ethnic and cultural

groups can become more culturally competent by

advancing through three main stages

❖Developing Awareness

❖Acquiring Knowledge

❖Developing and Maintaining Cross-Cultural Skills

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Our Success

- partnerships and networks with different

community organisations in municipal,

provincial and national level

- greater demand and interest to attend our

programs

- drop-in and onsite visit

- health and wellness programs including

cooking, yoga, movie, and outings, leadership

activities

2017 Women of

Distinction

Award:

Women of Distinction

Awards are presented

locally by YWCA’s across

Canada to recognize the

leadership of women who

contribute to the

development and well-

being of other women

and to the overall

improvement of the

community. Women of

Distinction Awards are

recognized across

Canada as one of the

most prestigious awards

for women

Yamuna Kutty, Vice President and Kaberi Sarma-Debnath, Executive Director, MWONL were

nominated for the 2017 Women of Distinction Awards! (36 inspiring women have been

nominated).On February 3rd, 2017 YWCA hosted Nominees' Reception at City Hall in Foran

Room. The Awards Ceremony was held on March 8th at the Bella Vista.

Achievement

Shamila receiving the lifesaving

certificate presented to her by the

St. Johns Ambulance on May 25th,

2017.

Saving A Life

Fathima Shamila Iqbal, President

of the Multicultural Women’s

Organization of NL,

was driving home from work in

February 2015 when she saw an

elderly man fall while shovelling

snow. She rescued the 80-year-old

man by using CPR.

Contact Information

Multicultural Women’s Organization of NL

(MWONL)NUPORT BUILDING, Box # 9

44 Torbay Road, St. John's, NL, A1A 2G4

Tel: 709.726.0321, Fax:709.726.0321

Website: www.mwonl.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MWONL.WOW

E-mail:

kaberi.debnath@gmail.com

multicultural.mwonl@gmail.com

Annual General Meetings

AGM 2017

AGM 2017

AGM 2017

AGM 2016

Activity Pictures

Cultural Events

#2 MWONL Activity Video

RCMP CACVM meeting on March 28, 2017

at National Headquarters in Ottawa

Partnership Work: RCMP

Partnership Work: Violence Prevention

Staakeholders Meeting

Achievements and Our Success

MWONL Activity Video

July 1st 2017, partnering with City of St. John’s

Nursing Home visit, CRA Session 2016 and more

July 1st 2017

Canada 150 CelebrationCanada Day Celebration July 1st 2017

Seniors Project Activities 2017

Seniors Project Activities 2017

MWONL Partnership with Seniors NLElder Abuse Workshop 2017

Women’s Policy Office,

Seniors Outing at Manuels 2017

Seniors Outing at Geo Center 2017

Craft

Craft

Activity pictures

Activity Pictures

MWONL Executive Members

Executive Members

MWONL Executive Members

Activity Pictures