Photos supplied
On June 23, 2018, the Alliance Jeunesse et Famille de l’Alberta Society (AJFAS) organized a Community Forum, “A VOTRE SANTE”, at Campus St. Jean Campus, at the University of Alberta, which marked the completion of a series of five hands-on workshops; a project with a focus group of 20 women. The forum which had a networking, a personal and professional development component was conceived for Francophone immigrant women who work or plan to be trained in French in the field of health in Edmonton.
With the support of several partners such the University of Alberta, the Centre Collegial of Alberta, Alberta Workers ‘Health Centre, Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative, and the Réseaux Santé, AJFAS put together a series of workshops aimed at;
- Identifying the challenges women face in the health sector,
- Creating opportunities to network, mobilize, and giving visibility to French-speaking African women living in Edmonton,
- Ensuring the success of the workforce in the field of health,
- Informing women about the working conditions that preserve their health and safety at work, their trade union rights, and
- Provide them with communication tools and types for a successful integration in the workplace.
It was an opportunity for participants to understand the challenges faced by Francophone immigrant women working in the health field, in Edmonton. Furthermore, the forum served as a safe platform to discuss the dynamism that these women show in health care. Although the forum focused mainly on francophone African immigrant women, Mr. M’Pindou, Executive Director of AJFAS, welcomed organizations to partner in solving the issues women face in the healthcare field in Alberta.
Dr. Boniface Bahi, one of the speaker at the forum, spoke about the importance of the labour market participation of immigrant in relation to the demand in health care. While Vicky Mulatris, Bijou Kapinga, and Alice Aman, who are health professionals, shared their stories of success and challenges were
Nolette Dolores from the Centre Collegial highlighted the launch of a new 8 months program: Health Care Attendant starting next September.
Professor Paulin Mulatris, Vice Dean at Campus Saint-Jean at the University of Alberta summarized the Forum and gave an evaluation of the project. “Excellent forum, but the challenges are there. We must confront them.”
In closing, certificates were given to twenty-three women participants. The women recommended for the forum to be repeated next year to create more opportunities for those who were not able to attend this year’s workshop. Additionally, they insisted that it is important to open the program to men who work in the field of health and who face the same challenges. Mr. Luketa M’Pindou, Director General of AJFAS, shared that the next step is to extend the program beyond Edmonton. Next launch in Calgary!
For more information on this forum, please contact Robert at robert.suraki@ajfas.ca or call (780) 440-2621
