A Refugee Experience | Diala from Lebanon

After working as nurses in Lebanon during the 1st wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Diala Sharab and her husband were given the opportunity to bypass travel restrictions and immigrate to Canada as skilled refugees. Since then, they have been adjusting to life as newlyweds and making a difference in vulnerable people’s lives in Canada as much-needed home care professionals. In this episode, Diala sheds light on the refugee crisis in Lebanon and what it means for the people who are directly affected. She then shares an honest account of the ups and downs since moving here and her unwavering gratitude for Toronto’s multiculturalism and the organisations that made her move possible.

You don’t want to miss:

• Starting from scratch: Diala’s experience arriving in Canada as a refugee and beginning her new job as a personal support worker.
• All about the 2 organisations that have changed Diala’s life: Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) and VHA Home Healthcare.
• The experience of Diala’s great-grandparents who fled conflict in Palestine to seek refuge in Lebanon.
• The importance of changing the narrative around the word “refugee” and showing compassion towards the individual humans behind each photo and media story.

 

PLUS, possibly the best love story ever?! How Diala and her husband, Yehya, both applied to the same refugee pilot program before they met, and ultimately got identical job offers a day before their engagement.

Links & Resources:

• Follow @ChooseLove on Instagram & help spread compassion for refugees.
• Read about Diala & Yehya in Global News.
• Download my 50 free tips from newcomers to Canada: What they wish they knew before they moved! thenewcomercollective.com/canada-tips/
• Follow me on Instagram: @TheNewcomerCollective
• For more about us and what we do, check out our website: TheNewcomerCollective.com

 

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