2016/17 QUARTER 2 REPORT
Quarterly Report
Passion and perseverance on the road to being a physician again
Trained as a doctor in Nigeria, Chibuike Chizea’s
Canadian adventure started in 2011. Recertifying as a
doctor in Canada is extremely difficult. It’s even harder
when you’re separated from family.
It’s essential to develop a realistic plan.
Chibuike had his. He would get his Master of Public
Health (MPH), Epidemiology, at the University of
Saskatchewan. From there, he would add his Nigerian
experience as a General Practitioner to Canada’s public
health services. Chibuike knew going back to school
meant incurring many expenses, from exam preparation,
residency, buying a laptop, to online learning and
textbooks.
That’s where the Immigrant Access Fund came in. He
heard about IAF through a network of Nigerian-trained
nurses and doctors. IAF was well known, with a great
reputation in the community. Chibuike met with a
member of the loan team who helped him further realize
his plan.
Unlike his path to certification, Chibuike says the whole
loan application was very quick and easy. “Within two
weeks, I completed the process and received my loan.”
His Loan Facilitator was attentive and checked in on
Chibuike’s progress regularly. Chibuike knew that IAF
would be there when he needed support. On one
occasion, when he failed an exam, he and his Loan
Facilitator worked together to allocate funds so
Chibuike could take it a second time.
2013 was a huge year for the Chizeas. Their family grew
to three with the birth to their son, Jamie. Chibuike
was awarded a Master of Public Health in December and
worked as an Epidemiologist in the Heartland Health
Region in Rosetown, Saskatchewan. In the same year,
he moved to the College of Medicine at Royal University
Hospital in Saskatoon, working as a Clinical Research
Assistant.
In 2015, the family moved to Moose Factory, Ontario,
where Chibuike became Manager of Infection Prevention
and Control at the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority.
His journey isn’t over yet. As he continues his
postgraduate education in Public Health, Chibuike is
a Resident Physician at the Northern Ontario School of
Medicine, in Thunder Bay.
Chibuike’s resume reads like a health care professional
any of us would want. He’s constantly learning and
improving, staying up to date on the latest knowledge
and skills. Remote Canadian communities need skilled
and determined health care professionals. Thelma will
soon finish her training as a nurse. Once she does, the
Chizeas will offer a dynamic duo of dedicated health
professionals. IAF is happy to have played a part in their
journey to success.
That level of support was key to his current
success. And, Chibuike has succeeded, both
personally and professionally.
In 2011, his wife, Thelma, had planned to
accompany him when he left Nigeria, but her
immigration was delayed. The young couple
endured six months of separation. When she did
arrive in Saskatoon, she started her own studies
in nursing. Together, they worked toward their
professional and personal goals in Canada.
Chibuike Chizea and family
The catalyst to reach personal and professional goals in Calgary
A recent immigrant with a Master of Science (Computer
Science), Megha Patel brought two years of experience
with her as a software engineer from Ahmedabad, India.
Leaving her family behind was difficult, but she and her
husband migrated to Canada in search of a better life.
When she arrived, Megha spent
her time searching for a job within
Calgary’s evolving IT sector. With
recent training and relevant
experience, opportunities should
have been plenty. But Megha
could not find a job. She soon
realized there were differences in
technology use between Canada
and India. Some companies were
using new technologies that she
was trained in, but also older
technologies that she was not
familiar with.
She qualified for the competitive eight month program,
but it didn’t come cheap. She needed some financial
assistance. A SAIT advisor knew about IAF and suggested
she connect with us.
It was the right move.
With the help of her IAF
loan, Megha finished the
program in April 2015.
She promptly applied for
positions in the IT field.
This time, her many
interviews led to a paid
practicum with a company
she still works for today,
AgCall. Megha works in
AgCall’s IT department as a
Solutions Developer.
For Megha, IAF was a
central catalyst in her
success. She was encouraged by the helpful nature,
professionalism and competence of her IAF Loan
Facilitator. Megha’s Loan Facilitator became a trusted
confidant, encouraging and supporting her, and giving
valuable advice along the journey back to her career.
Megha Patel and her husband
Discouraged with her job search,
but armed with the knowledge that some extra, specific
training might give her the profile she needed, she
decided to go back to school. She did her homework
and found a highly rated Object Oriented Software
Development program at Calgary’s Southern Alberta
Institute of Technology (SAIT). With a 93% graduate
employment rate, Megha felt this program would
quickly give her the labour market edge she needed.
Employment at
loan application*
Employment
at loan30,
application
As of September
2016
Finding work in her field has put her life back on
track. Without the loan, she couldn’t have completed
the program. She might have joined the many
underemployed newcomers in Canada. Instead, Megha’s
migration dream has become a reality.
Megha loves life in Calgary, particularly the beauty of
nature that surrounds and winds through the city. Many
of her new community of friends are people she went
to SAIT with, and new co-workers. She and her husband
have begun to grow strong roots in Calgary. They are
expecting a baby, fulfilling their wishes to have a family,
and life centered in Canada.
Employment
outcomes*
As of
SeptemberOutcomes
30, 2016
Employment
71%
32%
42%
26%
10%
3%
Employed in same field;
job below skills and education
Employed in same field;
job matched skills and education
Unemployed
Employed in same field;
job below skills and education
Employed in an unrelated occupation
Donate to IAF
16%
Every year, IAF helps hundreds of immigrants by
providing loans to help them pay for the licensing/
training they need to work in their field in Canada.
Unemployed
Employed in an unrelated occupation
* Based on 717 clients who completed their learning plans, paid loans in full,
Now more than ever Canada’s newcomers need
our help. Please consider a donation to IAF today.
http://www.iafcanada.org/support-iaf/donations/
and provided their current employment status.
QUARTERLY REPORT
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2016/17 QUARTER 2 REPORT
IAF Staff Profiles – Loan Facilitators
Asri, Joyce and Sanjay are three
members of our loan team
Our Loan Facilitators are so much more than just an
IAF contact person. They focus on the best interests
of our clients. Loan Facilitators provide support as
they lead clients towards their employment goals.
Asri, Joyce and Sanjay work out of IAF’s Edmonton
office, which opened in 2007. It was our first office
outside of Calgary. They are three members of a
12-member loan team that works out of Calgary,
Edmonton, Toronto and Saskatoon.
Asri Abduraup, Joyce Wan and Sanjay Deshpande
Asri Abduraup
IAF’s commitment to clients. “I consider my interaction
with my clients an opportunity to learn and build a
relationship of trust and integrity. We help each other
so that the IAF loan program grows stronger and at the
same time they can get back to their field.”
Asri joined IAF in 2012. Before bringing his accounting,
commerce and public administration skills to Canada
from the Philippines, he worked in Bahrain and the
United Kingdom. He understands the challenges new
immigrants face when settling into a new place. For
Asri, IAF is more than just a financial bridge to help
new immigrants transition into the job market: “IAF
loans not only address the financial barriers, but also
provide hope for immigrants in their quest for a better
life in Canada.”
Sanjay Deshpande
Sanjay came to work for IAF in 2010. Almost an IAF
client, he was looking for a potential education loan
when he learned that IAF was hiring a Loan Facilitator.
Clearly, his human resource, information technology
and banking skills were a fit. The rest, as they say, is
history! Sanjay brings his own experience into his work.
His personal understanding of the employment struggles
faced by newcomers makes him their empathetic
champion: “IAF is open to those experiencing
joblessness and underemployment. This is the beauty of
the microloan program.”
Joyce Wan
Joyce has been with IAF since 2013. With a background
in human resources she enjoys supporting people from
diverse backgrounds and professions. An immigrant from
Mauritius, she speaks both French and English and is an
asset to serve our French-speaking clients. Joyce values
Key Loan Stats
2,526
As of September 30, 2016
$13,312,834
loans approved totalling
$16,397,580 1,139
$902,339
2.6%
$7,717,947
funds advanced
loans
repaid
principal paid back
interest paid
QUARTERLY REPORT
$6,839
average loan amount
written off
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2016/17 QUARTER 2 REPORT
Champions
2016/17 QUARTER 2 REPORT
IAF Canada
Board of Directors
Advisory Council
Laura Wood Vanessa Desa Drew Thomson
Frances Wach
Vladimir Ahmad Leanne Cheng Adam Felesky Tara Holmes Andreas Souvaliotis
Amal Umar Peter Aghar
Bruce Alger
Carmen Alger
Avi Amir
Tracy Beairsto
Wayne Chiu
Eleanor Chiu
Brian Felesky
Jim Gray
Dr. Noor Jaffer
Len Johnson
Greg Jones
Moez Kassam
Bruce Lawson
Director, Chair
Director, Vice Chair
Director, Treasurer
Director, Secretary
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Line of Credit Guarantors
Peter Aghar
Bruce & Carmen Alger
Auxilium Foundation
Avi Amir
Frank Boyd
Wayne Chiu
James & Inez Collie
Adam Felesky
Brian Felesky
Jim Gray
Andreas Souvaliotis/
Joseph Gisini
Inspirit Foundation
Dr. Noor Jaffer
Len Johnson
Greg Jones
Moez Kassam
Lawson Foundation
D. Keith MacDonald
Alan Norris
Eric Prosser
Mike & Torie Ritchie
Sherali Saju
Prem Singhmar
Kumar Stenger
The Counselling
Foundation of Canada
Bill Young
Anonymous (1)
Kerry Longpré
D. Keith MacDonald
Lesley MacDonald
Mick Mulloy
Andrea Nemtin
Alan Norris
Sherali Saju
Karen Shelsted
Prem Singhmar
Kumar Stenger
Corinne Tessier,
Co-Chair
Bill Young
About Us:
CONTACT IAF
www.iafcanada.org
TOLL FREE: 1-855-423-2262
WEBSITE:
Follow Us Online:
Immigrant Access Fund Canada supports newcomers who arrive in
our country equipped with excellent skills and knowledge, but face
significant barriers to employment. They often fall into poverty as they
become stuck in unemployment or low paying “survival” jobs. Our vision
is that immigrants are equitably integrated into the workforce and
contributing their expertise to Canada’s economic and social success.
To do this, IAF provides micro loans of up to $10,000 to internationally
trained immigrants through a community-based program funded by both
the private and public sectors. To learn more, visit iafcanada.org.
IAF IS SUPPORTED BY
STRATEGIC
BANKING PARTNER
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