A busy year end for SOFIFRAN

The last few weeks of 2022 were certainly busy ones for the staff and members of SOFIFRAN in Niagara.

December began with an intergenerational evening held at Holy Trinity Church in Welland. “This activity gave young people and older immigrants from our community the chance to meet newcomers to the region and talk with them about their new life in Canada and about settling in,” explains Fété Ngira-Batware Kimpiobi, the organization’s executive director.

“Immigrants who came here years ago shared their experiences with them and encouraged them to volunteer in the community and to build the knowledge and skills they need to enter the Canadian labour market more quickly.”

Then on December 11, in partnership with the National Film Board of Canada, SOFIFRAN screened the film À pleine voix in the community room at Welland City Hall. The film looked at stereotypes about the Muslim community and featured women sharing their stories, followed by a discussion between the audience of about thirty people and Alaa Hejji, a well-known member of the region’s Muslim community.

And SOFIFRAN’s holiday party brought a busy year and a packed program to a fitting close. At this event, the MPP for Niagara Centre, Jeff Burch, was on hand to announce that Sofifran had received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), $50,600 from the Resilient Communities Fund. The grant allowed the organization to purchase high-quality audiovisual equipment to broaden its visibility on social media, on the Web and in its services.

At this festive gathering, about a hundred children from immigrant families in Niagara each received a holiday gift card from SOFIFRAN.

Richard Caumartin