Facing racism didn't make Aster Fessahaie bitter, it forced her to be
better.
But nearly 27 years later, Fessahaie still feels the long-ago sting of
discrimination.
Jim Wilkes/TORONTO STAR
EFFORTS REWARDED: Aster
Fessahaie will receive a New Pioneers award in honour of her efforts
to eradicate prejudice and racism from the city's child-care system.
A registered nurse and midwife who had just immigrated to Canada from Eritrea
in 1975, she learned her nursing qualifications were worthless here.
So when a community college offered her a single year's credit toward a
diploma in early childhood education, she jumped at the opportunity.
Finding a place to live was tougher.
With just a smattering of English, she enlisted the help of a college
classmate to contact landlords offering rooms for rent.
"She would make the phone calls, mark them down for me and give me
directions," Fessahaie, 48, recalled. "But when I got there 15 minutes later,
those rooms were gone, already rented.
"Yet when I went back to my friend, she'd call again and they'd say the room
was still available. It was me they didn't want."
It was a feeling she found hard to erase.
"I learned the hard way, but you can't be bitter and upset about it," the
mother of three said. "You have to be proactive and combat it, work to make a
difference in life.
"You accomplish more when you oppose something negative with a positive
attitude."
It was a lesson that stuck with her, leading her to become an advocate for
women and children across Toronto.
Since 1987, she has worked for the City of Toronto's children's services
division, working to eradicate racism in the child-care system.
Among her pet projects is an annual anti-bias and racism conference that began
10 years ago with three or four parents and has blossomed into a two-day
annual event, drawing hundreds of representatives from child-care centres,
schools and community organizations.
"I always loved children, so I decided to focus on young kids," Fessahaie
explained. "I'm trying to make a difference by sharing what I know with
others.
"We have come a long, long way with issues of diversity and anti-racism, but
racism is in our society and child care is a part of that."
Fessahaie, who is completing a master's degree in education, keeps watch over
38 child-care centres and two large family resource centres in north Toronto,
helping to smooth the road for many immigrant parents and encouraging them to
take part in activities.
It's a path she has followed herself.
She became involved in committees and boards at her own children's schools,
and is now part of the National Union of Eritrean Women and Ryerson
University's international studies liaison board.
She was also instrumental in drafting anti-racism policy and conduct
guidelines for dealing with youngsters in city-operated child-care centres.
"By being involved, you can share your own hidden skills," she said.
"But it's a two-way street. You can't expect people to know your needs, so
it's very important, whether you're a newly immigrated Canadian or long-time
resident, to show interest, to be involved and share advice with others.
