Introducing the projects reimagining services for Ottawa refugee claimants

[Photo:  @alina.zherdeva / @tracottawa]

Last week, members of the Collective Impact Initiative for Refugee Claimants (CIIRC) gathered to celebrate the recipients of its largest community grants to date. Sipping coffee and sharing stories of their work to make a difference, refugee claimants and staff from Ottawa refugee services organizations welcomed the results of their collective efforts. 

CIIRC partners awarded a total of $1.83M over three years to innovative projects addressing the root causes of inequality experienced by refugee claimants in Ottawa. 

Our city has a proud history of welcoming refugees, but historically, refugee claimants have struggled to access basic services to start life in Canada. 

CIIRC is a collective impact initiative formally launched in 2024 to create system-wide improvements for refugee claimants, representing 25+ refugee service providers and community organizations, as well as refugee claimants themselves. 

Members include community health centres, transitional shelters, legal services, settlement agencies, the City of Ottawa and more. As a proud founding member, Refugee 613 serves as the secretariat for CIIRC, providing the collective with project management, convening and communications services. 

The initiative and its grants were made possible thanks to a generous multi-year donation by an anonymous donor, administered through the Ottawa Community Foundation.   

A new chapter in refugee welcome

Even though the majority of refugee claimants go on to become permanent residents, they are not eligible for the majority of federally-funded settlement services in their first months here. A network of small charities and community agencies has struggled to meet the need for information, advice and support, but it’s just not enough. 

Last year, CIIRC members designed a grant to address the real needs of refugee claimants in our city. It called on Ottawa organizations to submit projects that wouldn’t just add to existing services, but improve how refugee claimants access support city-wide. 

CIIRC formed a granting panel including community members with lived experience as refugee claimants, professionals from the settlement sector and experts from complementary fields. The panel narrowed down an astonishing 38 applications and chose six projects to spark innovation and improvements in a new chapter for Ottawa’s refugee welcome. 

The grassroots projects receiving CIIRC funding aim to build long-term solutions to this problem, focusing on building our community’s capacity to provide support for employment, housing, legal access, language learning, storytelling and peer connections. 

Read on to learn about each of these exciting projects!

Community Developer Lili-Anne Kondo will work with fellow CLSO staff and the YMCA of the National Capital Region to support refugee claimants as they make a legal case to claim asylum in Canada. [Photo:  @alina.zherdeva / @tracottawa]

Refugee Orientation and Legal Support Project

Organization: Community Legal Services of Ottawa (CLSO)

To stay in Canada long-term, refugee claimants must file a legal claim and attend a hearing to show their need for safety and protection here.

Getting legal support for this crucial step is essential. Without it, refugee claimants risk making simple mistakes that can lead to long delays or even the rejection of their claim. Too often, bad actors charge claimants exorbitant amounts for poor advice that further complicates their claims.

Thanks to CIIRC funding, CLSO will offer pro bono legal orientation and support, in partnership with the YMCA of the National Capital Region. 

From the organization: 

“The refugee claim process is daunting, but with the right support, they should be able to navigate it. I want to reduce the number of people who fall for scams. I want to make sure that people know their rights. I want to know that people get proper access to legal aid.”

- Lili-Anne Kondo, Community Developer, CLSO

 

Refugee 613 Executive Director Louisa Taylor (left) speaks with ELTOC Executive Director, Vikki Lefebvre (middle-left), Program Manager, Ada Tagliaferro (middle-right), and Program Lead / Curriculum Developer, Anna-Kay Dunkley (right) about their language initiative. [Photo:  @alina.zherdeva / @tracottawa]

Language Link 613

Organization: English Language Tutoring for the Ottawa Community (ELTOC)

Language learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom. ELTOC has been supporting newcomers who can’t attend traditional language classes through free, at-home tutoring for over 30 years. Now, with the help of a CIIRC grant, they’re going to bring language support to the Ottawa shelters serving refugee claimants.

This organization’s collaborative project will empower refugee-serving organizations to embed language learning into their existing services. ELTOC will be sharing its decades of knowledge and experience by training staff and volunteers at Ottawa organizations with a new education program designed to centre refugee voices. 

From the organization: 

“When this application came about, we thought, ‘What an awesome idea, to be able to share our knowledge and success with refugee-serving organizations so that they too can include language – build it into their programming without having it to be a huge add-on piece.’”

- Vikki Lefebvre, Executive Director, ELTOC

 

ANYO program manager, Gaston Mpela, says The Giving Trim isn’t just about giving refugee claimants workplace skills, it’s also about offering affordable haircuts to the community. Due for a trim? Click here! [Photo:  @alina.zherdeva / @tracottawa]

The Giving Trim – Empowering Refugee Claimant Youth Through Barbering & Economic Incubation

Organization: Active Newcomer Youth Ottawa (ANYO)

This project will help refugee claimants begin a career with hair-cutting shears in hand and a support network behind them! ANYO will provide young refugee claimants with hands-on barber training, industry certifications, mentorship and direct job placements. 

By the end of the project, ANYO will produce a model for helping program participants become working professionals, making a living wage. 

From the organization: 

“We don't just want them to be barbers, right? We want them to have a life which shows their leadership, and also to be entrepreneurs at the same time. While they are doing barbering here, they can have an exchange of ideas with their peers about how to overcome some of their challenges.”

- Gaston Mpela, Program Manager, ANYO

 

Kindspace Executive Director Carling Miller (middle) says her programs will help LGBTQI+ refugee claimants new to Ottawa find friendships with others who are more settled and can help them navigate life in our city.  [Photo:  @alina.zherdeva / @tracottawa]

Systems Development For LGBTQ+ Refugees and Claimants in Ottawa

Organization: Kind Space

LGBTQI+ refugees face unique challenges when navigating services, including choosing what information they can safely disclose about their gender and sexuality. Luckily, facing hardship with a community of support can make a world of difference. 

Kind Space will partner with Centretown Community Health Centre to help LGBTQI+ refugee claimants support one another through tailored training and community programs. They’ll also work with local organizations supporting refugee claimants to help Ottawa's refugee and LGBTQ+ support systems become more inclusive. 

From the organization: 

“We have lots of people who are kind of shy and new to the city, or just coming out. You kind of need to know someone to know about all the things that are happening in the queer community in Ottawa. So it's not as easy to find, but Kind Space is usually the first place that people get introduced to or get referred to.”

- Carling Miller, Executive Director, Kind Space

 

Visionary Voices is a non-profit dedicated to creating spaces where stories create change.  The organization’s Partnerships Coordinator, Yusufu Samweli (left) and Program Manager, Nicolas Kashindi (Right), introduced its innovative photo-voice project. [Photo:  @alina.zherdeva / @tracottawa]

Through Our Eyes: A Photovoice Project for Refugee Claimants in Ottawa

Organization: Visionary Voices

A camera can be a gateway to powerful stories and political change. Visionary Voices will offer videography and photography training to equip refugee claimants with the skills to document their experiences and advocate for policy and systems change in housing, education and employment. 

Participants will build their employment potential while raising the voices of those living the refugee claimant experience. Expect exhibitions, public engagement and creative advocacy from this innovative project! 

From the organization: 

“I want [refugee claimant youth] to feel excited for the opportunity to learn new skills, connect with peers who share similar experiences, and explore ways to express themselves. Most importantly, I hope they feel empowered to share their voices, to know their perspective matters as well.”

- Yusufu Samweli, Partnerships Coordinator, Visionary Voices

 

Mejdi Alkhushi, Employment Readiness Facillitator  at World Skill (centre) explains that together with shelters like Matthew House, Samaritan House, Stepstone House and Carty House, World Skills will offer workshops to help refugee claimants learn the ins and outs of job-hunting in Canada. [Photo:  @alina.zherdeva / @tracottawa]

Expanding Refugee Claimants' Access to Employment Services: A Collaborative Model

Organization: World Skills Employment Centre 

Finding a job is one of the most important tasks refugee claimants face when starting life in Canada. World Skills Employment Centre has been supporting Ottawa newcomers with their job searches for over 27 years. 

Thanks to the CIIRC Community Grant, World Skills will be offering employment workshops tailored to newcomers staying in transitional shelters, meaning refugee claimants can get quality support in an accessible location, early in their time in Ottawa. 

From the organization: 

“We wanted to really look at a model where the newcomers look at the shelters, not as a place just to stay overnight, but as a place where they can also explore opportunities, and as a place where they're able to support themselves and their family. ”

- Mengistab Tsegaye, Executive Director, World Skills Employment Centre

 

We love supporting businesses owned by former and current refugee claimants! Attendees snacked on treats from Chewy Puff Cookies, by local baker Omar Gaber. We can vouch for their deliciousness! [Photo:  @alina.zherdeva / @tracottawa]

Want to learn more about these projects? 

Contact Elham Ghadieh, CIIRC Project Coordinator, at elham@refugee613.ca