ORAL HISTORY: Irina D Mihalache INTERPRETIVE TEAM: Sadie MacDonald, Alexis Moline, Emily Pokocky.

Empathy & Experience

Almaz has dedicated her life to helping newcomers settle in Canada. Originally from Eritrea, Almaz arrived in Calgary almost 30 years ago. After experiencing the complex life of a refugee and newcomer firsthand, Almaz decided to become involved in the settlement sector. While working, she completed her Masters degree in Education at York University. Currently a counsellor at Working Women Community Center in North West York, Almaz uses empathy drawn from her experiences at a refugee camp in Kenya and her time settling in Calgary to create educational programs and help newcomers adjust to Canadian life. In her work, Almaz advocates for connecting cultures, collaboration, and compassion in order to create a strong support system for newcomers in all stages of becoming Canadian. Since 1995 till present she has chaired and sat on multiple boards of directors, and played a governing role in numerous committees.