Empowering Immigrant Seniors to Advocate for Better Community Services: A train-the-trainer model
How do we move from addressing the special needs of immigrant seniors to empower them to become engaged as an advocacy group? The Rexdale Women’s Centre (RWC) has implemented a “train-the-trainers” model of education and service delivery with ethno-cultural seniors. One of the objectives of the Ethno-cultural Seniors Advocacy Project (ECSAP) was to foster and increase the capacity of ethno-cultural seniors to effect positive changes within their own communities and to become their own advocates. The Project has assisted ethno-cultural seniors to organize their own social-recreational groups and supported them with capacity building activities so that they now play a leading role in the community development process. The RWC has successfully developed groups for seniors from many different ethno-cultural groups. Workshop participants will learn about RWC’s “train-the-trainers” model designed to equip seniors with tools for communication, negotiation, fund raising, civic involvement, local activism, conflict resolution and planning for long-term stability. The session will provide tools and information to replicate similar programs in their organizations and will address challenges and opportunities when working with immigrant seniors.
Saadia Akram-Pall has two Master degrees and Post Master’s specialization in Clinical Psychology. She is working as Program Manager at the Rexdale Women’s Centre. She is also a Clinical Member of the Ontario Society of Psychotherapists. She has participated in various research projects and her articles are also published in professional journals. Saadia has worked at various levels of community services including counsellor, facilitator and program co-ordinator to work with ethno-specific communities. She has been involved in educational programs for more than 15 years. Saadia has organized various staff development trainings and public education forums.
