| Apart from the obvious challenges, such as having to | | | | shares his learning experience through mentorship |
| adjust to life in a new country, there are numerous | | | | programs, says even today, not enough is done to help |
| other obstacles that have to be overcome. But stay | | | | integrate immigrants into society and the workforce. |
| the course, and there's no telling how far you can go. | | | | He sees first-hand the health consequences of the |
| Just ask Dr Colin Saldanha, now a physician with a | | | | failure of integration. "My patients are mostly |
| busy family practice and a recipient of the federal | | | | immigrants, and I frequently see high stress levels and |
| 'Canada 125' Commemorative Medal for services to | | | | depression resulting from adaptation problems." |
| the community. | | | | Saldanha, who has served on numerous committees |
| When he moved to Canada, from Karachi, Pakistan, | | | | on immigrant integration and business promotion, says |
| he discovered his medical qualifications counted for | | | | the public and corporate sectors need to move on |
| very little. There was a complete absence of a | | | | from 'lip service' to "practical, definitive solutions in |
| support system, and foreign professionals had to pay | | | | addressing newcomers' integration into society and the |
| exorbitant fees to write an exam. With jobs hard to | | | | workforce." |
| come by and no income, he had to depend on | | | | On the other side of the issue, he emphasizes the |
| relatives and friends. | | | | need for immigrants to "create that passion to serve |
| "Coming from a status of a professional to being | | | | and participate in the socio-political process of this |
| dependent in every sense of the word was an | | | | great country that has accepted them and given them |
| eroding of self-respect," says Saldanha. "Just having to | | | | a future." The Canadian Immigration Guide helped him |
| pay the TTC fare was a challenge." | | | | to navigate the Canadian Immigration system to full |
| That was 25 years ago, but Saldanha, who now | | | | extent and live a fulfill life here in Canada. |