‘It’s impactful’: How an Ottawa woman is giving back and helping newcomers

Rana Kais at her office in Ottawa on June 25, 2024. (Brad Quinn/CTV News Ottawa)

Becoming a citizen and receiving a Canadian passport is something many around the world dream of.

Just ask Rana Kais, who was born a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon.

“We couldn’t get any passport in Lebanon. We just had a travel document in Lebanon and accordingly, many rights were not granted as we were not recognized in the Geneva Convention as refugees,” she said.

“We just had travel documents and ultimately, that was the main push to even travel and even apply to immigrate to Canada.”

Kais says trying to move to Canada was never in doubt and she never considered anywhere else.

“Canada is built as a kind of mosaic with immigrants and refugees from all around the world so, I felt like it’s a country that is going to embrace me and at the same time, give me a sense of belonging,” she said.

“I never thought of anywhere else. If you come here, you don’t feel like you are excluded. You feel that you belong.”

Kais was a teacher with about a decade of experience when she first arrived in Canada back in 2004.

She says teaching is her passion, but after taking the required courses to teach in the country, she still faced significant hurdles landing a job.

“I still remember the list [of job applications]. Probably hundreds of opportunities and I didn’t get any calls for an interview even though I had around 10 years of experience in the education system as a teacher in different school systems as well as internationally and with the UN.” said Kais.

“It was a big shock for sure. I was like ‘just call me for an interview and I will prove myself!’ But I didn’t receive that opportunity unfortunately.”

At that point, Kais decided not to stay in Canada on social assistance.

Instead, she was hired for a teaching job in the United Arab Emirates where she worked for two years, all the while applying for similar positions in Canada.

Eventually, she landed a job as a multi-cultural liaison for the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization working in schools across Ottawa.

“The job itself wasn’t my initial attraction, rather, it was the chance to work in schools, which I hoped would help me build the connections I needed to get hired as a teacher. But that role ended up opening a door to a path I had never imagined,” said Kais.

“I entered the non-profit sector and discovered a deep passion for supporting newcomers on their integration journey. I continued to teach occasionally to stay connected to my passion, but I progressed steadily in the settlement and integration field. I moved from Settlement Counsellor to Program Manager to Mentorship Facilitator at OCISO.”

She later joined the Newcomer Employment Services team at Pinecrest-Queensway Employment Services, where she now serves as team supervisor.

Kais now leans on her personal experience and is helping new Canadians find their footing by seeking out employment opportunities.

“When you tell someone ‘Okay, don’t worry, you’re going to be breaking barriers, you’re going to be stepping in’ if you don’t have an actual success story, you’re not going to be convincing,” she said.

“The minute they call and say ‘Hey! I got it and I want to share my happiness!’ That’s my ultimate happiness for sure because you feel the reward directly and the impact. It’s beautiful.”

The latest population census data from Statistics Canada shows nearly a quarter of Canada’s populations is made up of immigrants – the highest proportion of new Canadians in more than 150 years.

More than eight million immigrants now call Canada home.

“Give newcomers a chance to prove themselves because I do believe that a person who emigrated and then chose to come to Canada, they do have their skills, and they would love to contribute,” said Kais.

“They would love to make a difference.”

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