King Achilla Orru Apaa-Idomo’s blindness has not deterred him from
pursuing his passions. From the age of six, when he lost his sight to
measles, he learned to find ways around obstacles. His life of
achievement in music and community involvement is a testament to his
success at moving forward with his dreams, despite the difficulties.
After arriving in Canada in 1989, King Achilla needed to acquire the
skills to function independently in a highly organized society. He had
spent the previous four years in a refugee camp in Kenya - a way of life
completely different from what he found in Canada.
King Achilla’s scholastic record from Uganda qualified him for
acceptance to Dalhousie University in the International Development
program, from which he graduated in 1994. Despite the heavy academic
load, he was able to start a band, Baana Afrique, in his second year of
university.
King Achilla’s music has received considerable critical acclaim for its
unique blend of the African lokombe sound with rhythms and sounds of
Western instruments.
Since arriving in Toronto in 1995, he has toured with Baana Afrique all
across Canada. In Toronto the band has played at Roy Thompson Hall, CBC
Glen Gould Studio, Harbourfront, major festivals and the International
Youth celebrations for the Papal visit in 2003.
In January 2008 King Achilla was featured as the soloist of the year
with the Royal Dutch Wind Ensemble in Amsterdam at the Concertgebouw,
one of the most prestigious concert halls in Europe.
With the support of government grants, King Achilla has produced three
CDs, which have received international acknowledgment, including the
FIATTE Memorial Award for best traditional performer in 1996,
recognition from the World Music Symposium in Germany twice, and a Juno
nomination in 2005 for Best World Music of the Year.
King Achilla has also given back to the community by serving on a number
of boards and through benefit concerts. He has lent his musical talents
to many charities, including Amnesty International, Crossroads Canada,
YMCA, UNESCO, Canada World Youth, Human Rights Canada, CNIB, AMREF,
Stepping Stones, and the Jane Goodall Institute. He is regularly called
upon by federal and provincial political parties to sing O Canada to
open various functions.
What to many of us, would seem to be an obvious barrier, has been
turned by King Achilla into a positive force to strengthen his
considerable resolve, determination and resourcefulness. King Achilla’s
talent has enriched his adopted community of Toronto, the world venues
that have enjoyed his music and his native Uganda. Achilla is truly a
global citizen for Toronto to be proud of.
Jamila Aman (Community Service)
Jamila Aman has gone far beyond the
call of duty in her wholehearted and passionate commitment to improve
the lives of those she serves. She works tirelessly to help new
immigrants and refugees adjust and acclimatize to their new
environments, which at times can be financially and emotionally
overwhelming. Her eye is always toward the betterment of the people that
she serves. She has lobbied politicians and funders to help her cause.
Jamila understands the difficulties faced by newcomers all too well; her
own experience taught her first-hand what needs to happen to make
settlement in a new land viable and achievable. When Jamila arrived in
Canada from Eritrea in 1984 she had to overcome many barriers, as she
was a well-educated female refugee of colour whose English was not
fluent.
Jamila did not let this prevent her from accomplishing her goals. Since
coming to Canada, she has obtained her degree in Business Administration
with a specialty in General Management and Public Administration and her
ESL teacher certification. She is also a graduate of the Executive
Director’s Institute at the Schulich School of Business and is currently
pursuing a Masters degree.
Jamila always looks for ways to build viability and sustainability for
Northwood Neighbourhood Services, the agency that she heads. To her
credit, she built a grassroots agency into a major community hub of
activity and visibility which provides programs, services and sanctuary
for new immigrants. The clientele know that they will be supported and
steered toward greater stability in their new quest to become successful
within the Canadian landscape. As Executive Director, she continues to
explore avenues of growth that will aid new settlers and has built an
organization that can, for years to come, provide a secure place for new
immigrants.
What is truly remarkable about Jamila is her capacity to give back! In
this day and age of serving in a non-profit environment - an environment
that sees daily struggles and challenges in just keeping the doors open
- Jamila has made it her personal goal to help agencies that are less
fortunate. She recognizes valuable services and helps smaller agencies
build the capacity required to stay viable. She mentors, guides and
gives selflessly to help others provide much needed services in the
community. She truly is exemplary of all that is good in social
services. Her philosophy has always been that by helping others,
learning more about others and partnering with others, she ultimately
benefits those that she serves.
Neena and Vijay Kanwar (Entrepreneurship)
Neena and Vijay Kanwar overcame many
obstacles in their journey to build a better tomorrow for themselves and
for the community at large.
Arriving in Canada from India at the age of 16, Neena earned her
Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of Toronto in 1979 and in
1981 obtained a Registered Nuclear Medicine Technologist Degree (C.A.M.R.T.-
R.T.N.M.) from the Toronto Institute of Medical Technology. Before
founding KMH Cardiology and Diagnostic Centres in 1988, she worked as a
Nuclear Cardiology Technologist at St. Michael’s Hospital for six years.
In 2006 Neena launched the KMH Family Assistance Services, a charity
that assists people to improve their lives and break the cycle of
poverty.
Vijay finished his Mechanical Engineering degree in India and earned his
MBA from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto.
Vijay was also granted the ICD.D certification by the Institute of
Corporate Directorates. Vijay is now the President and Chief Financial
Officer of KMH Cardiology and Diagnostic Centres, North America’s
largest provider of nuclear cardiology services, and KMH MRI and Health
Care Centres. KMH has expanded diagnostic health services across Canada
and reduced wait times by delivering high quality, accurate diagnostic
procedures on a timely basis.
Neena and Vijay have many other achievements to their name. In 2006,
they were both recognized as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
for Health Services in Ontario.
Neena’s achievements include serving as President of the Independent
Diagnostic Clinics Association for 15 years and as a Director on the
Boards of both St. Michael’s Hospital and Sherbourne Health Care
Corporation in Toronto. She was named to Profit Magazine’s Top 100 Women
Entrepreneurs in 2007 and 2006 and Chatelaine’s Top 100 Women Business
Owners List in five of the last six years. In 2001, she was recognized
as the Businesswoman of the Year by the Indo-Canadian Chamber of
Commerce.
Vijay is also President and Director of Lambardar Inc, designing,
planning and coordinating the construction of state-of-the-art medical
facilities. He was Founder President of Transamerica Medical Inc., a
medical supply company specializing in bulk purchasing arrangements. An
active member of the Young President’s Organization and Mississauga
Advisory Group, he also serves on the Boards of Directors of Greater
Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), the Raptors Foundation, the United
Way of Peel Region and the National Ballet School of Canada.
In February 2006, Neena and Vijay donated $5 million to the Credit
Valley Hospital Foundation, fulfilling their dream of giving the
community a world-class Ambulatory Care Centre.
Dr. Hadi Mahabadi (Science and Technology)
Dr. Hadi Mahabadi, who was the chair of
the Chemical Engineering Department at Tehran University of Technology,
had the desire to live and work in a country which had respect for
freedom and human rights. That prompted his decision in 1981to leave
Iran and immigrate to Canada.
Upon arriving in Canada with his pregnant wife and two year old son,
Hadi was faced with significant financial hardship, a language barrier,
and lacked Canadian work experience. It was critical for him to find
employment immediately to support his growing family.
Hadi joined Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC) as a researcher and,
with hard work and perseverance, managed to demonstrate his
qualifications and climbed in the company to its highest position in
Canada as the Vice President and Director of XRCC.
Hadi received his PhD in the field of Polymer from the University of
Waterloo in 1977. Since then he has developed many scientific
innovations of significant benefit to the information communications
community. To name a few, Mahabadi Formula and theory are being used
widely in the field of Polymer and taught in many universities. He has
also developed and delivered a breakthrough and environmentally-friendly
toner technology, which is being used by Xerox’s customers worldwide to
print better quality documents while saving more than 70% energy per
page.
Hadi has published more than 100 scientific papers, holds over 70 US
patents and has presented in many major international conferences. In
honour of his scientific contributions, he was elected as a Fellow of
the Chemical Institute of Canada and the International Union of Pure and
Applied Chemistry. He has also received many awards for his
accomplishments including the Xerox President Award, the corporation’s
highest honour for individual achievement and the Xerox Chester F.
Carlson Award for the highest number of US patents.
Hadi was ranked number one among Print Action Magazine’s 50 most
influential Canadians in Graphic Art Communications and the University
of Waterloo awarded him Engineering Alumni’s Achievement Medal for his
extraordinary professional achievements and for being an exceptional
strategic thinker. In fact, XRCC received the 2007 Immigrant Success
Award largely due to Hadi’s leadership in building a strong organization
of diversified and qualified researchers.
As part of his community involvement, Hadi serves as a volunteer on a
number of national and regional task forces and committees helping to
shape the future direction of Canada’s science and technology industry.
He has also been involved in mentoring other scientists and by giving
presentations across Canada, encouraging high school students to pursue
the field of science. Hadi also serves on the advisory board of
Ryerson University, the Ontario Centre of Excellence and the Board of
Governors of the Ontario College of Art and Design.
Pedro A. Vargas-Zamora (Skills for Change Graduate)
Pedro A. Vargas-Zamora came to Canada
at the beginning of 2006 as a single, independent immigrant trying to
forge a new life in a new country. He wanted to pave the way for his
family, as he was the eldest and had a well-established career in
Occupational Health and Safety in Chile. Pedro knew no one, had very
little English and was not entirely prepared for the cultural dynamics
of Canada.
Pedro thought that his professional experience and credentials would be
the bridge to his integration into Canadian culture. Upon arriving he
was prepared to accomplish his goals on his own and was hopeful that his
future Canadian co-workers would provide the support he needed
culturally and socially.
When Pedro discovered that this in fact was the greatest barrier, his
settlement process began to erode beneath him. Fortunately, with the
help of community centres, language enhancement training and finally a
focused plan with the Skills for Change Engineering Your Future program,
Pedro changed his approach. He is currently establishing himself in the
Canadian workforce.
Over the two years that Pedro has been in Canada, he has achieved many
of the goals that he set out to reach by taking advantage of the
opportunities that came his way. He enrolled in numerous language
courses that not only improved his overall English language ability, but
gave him the confidence to speak to others. In addition, Pedro took the
initiative and conducted seminars, lectures and public presentations on
safety and risk prevention to other newcomer professionals through
Skills for Change.
After completing the Engineering Your Future program offered at Skills
for Change, Pedro was highly motivated to give back to the program. He
was inspired to do something more to develop a network for the clients.
He started the Skills for Change Multi-Disciplinary Professional Group,
which promotes the skills, talent, experience, dreams and energy that
every individual brings and guides them in the process of starting a
career in Canada.
All of this exemplifies how Pedro gives back to his community with
initiative, dedication and enthusiasm, contributing in his way to
improving the quality of life in Canadian society.
Mariatu Kamara (Youth)
Mariatu Kamara is an inspirational
young woman who exemplifies the best of humanity. She speaks softly and
is always concerned about the well being of others.
When Mariatu first arrived in Canada, she had to deal with extraordinary
obstacles – physical disability (her hands had been amputated by rebels
during the Sierra Leone civil war), lack of formal education (she had
never had the opportunity to attend school) and the inability to
communicate in English.
Despite these barriers, she has integrated well into Canadian society
and is a positive role model for other young people. She shares her
heartbreaking story of rape, torture, the death of her child and having
to beg on the streets, with courage and grace. Her story stands as a
source of inspiration to others; they too can overcome their worst
fears, find their talents, seek a purpose and live life to the fullest.
Despite the huge physical and emotional barriers, Mariatu manages to
face each day optimistically. Nothing could hold her back from achieving
her dream of graduating from high school in 1997, and now post-secondary
studies at George Brown College in the Assaulted Women and Children's
Counsellor/Advocate Program. Her memoir, The Bite of the Mango,
co-written with her nominator Susan McClelland, tells the story of her
life in Sierra Leone, her capture by rebel soldiers and how she came to
live in Canada.
Mariatu is eager to speak to groups about her experiences and to educate
the public about the impact of war on children. She hopes to be able to
share her experiences with people of all ages. Mariatu has spoken
publicly about the impact of war on children for Free the Children. She
is now a UNICEF Canada special representative for Children and Armed
Conflict.
Her life goals include working for the United Nations and counselling
abused women and children. She has also set up a foundation to help
provide housing for victims of war in Sierra Leone.
Sponsors
Lead Sponsor
Canadian Imperial Bank
of Commerce
Platinum Sponsor
Western Union Canada
Award Sponsors
Blake, Cassels & Graydon
LLP
Carranza Barristers &
Solicitors
Certified General
Accountants of Ontario
Sun Life Financial
TD Bank Financial Group
Xerox Canada
Diamond Sponsor
Ontario Ministry of
Citizenship and
Immigration
Gold Sponsors
Ernst & Young LLP
C & D Graphics Services
Inc.
KPMG
Silver Sponsors
Fidelity Investments
Hydro One Inc.
Professional Engineers
Ontario
Official Television
Sponsor
Citytv and OMNI
Television
Official Radio
Sponsor
EZ Rock 97.3fm
Official Newspaper
Sponsor
Toronto Star
Official Magazine
Sponsor
Canadian Newcomer
Magazine
Official Chinese
Print Sponsor
Ming Pao Daily News
Diversity Publisher
Sponsor
MulticomMedia
Corporate Table
Sponsors (premier seating)
Franklin Templeton
Investment Corp.
Corporate Table
Sponsors (with
recognition)
Canadian Union of
Skilled Workers
Certified Management
Accountants
City of Toronto
George Brown College
Institute of Chartered
Accountants Ontario
KMH Laboratories
Ontario College of
Teachers
Xerox Canada
Personal Table
Sponsors
Jane Cullingworth
Donors
Steven Harrison
Patricia and Pekka
Sinervo
Selection Teams
Arts
Brenda L. House,
Toronto Arts
Council
Thom Clulow,
Sunlife
Financial
Alice Ho,
Canadian Music
Centre
An Lun Huang,
Composer, 2004
Arts Award
Recipient
Vicky Moufawad-Paul,
A Space Gallery
Soheil Parsa,
Modern Times
Stage Company,
1995 Arts Award
Recipient
Sashar Zarif,
Sashar Zarif
Dance Theatre,
2008 Arts Award
Recipient
Michel Dauda,
Skills for
Change
Rosaline Graham,
Skills for
Change
Community
Service
Susan McIsaac,
United Way of
Greater Toronto
Laila Bondugjie,
Arab Community
Centre of
Toronto
Brian Davis,
Toronto
Community
Housing
Corporation
Melanie
Farrell, OMNI
Television &
Citytv
Aster Fessahaie,
City of Toronto,
2002 Community
Service Award
Recipient
Mary Ann J.
Lara, FCSI, CIM,
CGA, CFP,
Investors Group
Telma Mena,
Carranza
Barristers &
Solicitors
Helen Tewolde,
Youth Challenge
Fund, 2008
Community
Service Award
Recipient
Nafeesa Afridi,
Skills for
Change
Kleva Gruda,
Skills for
Change
Entrepreneurship
Jeff Brown, CIBC
Shashu Clacken,
Blake, Cassels &
Graydon LLP
Tom Goldie,
Hydro One Inc.
Hasan Halloum,
Ernst & Young
LLP
Jason Y.S. Kahng,
BMO Nesbitt
Burns Inc.
Ritesh Malik,
Xerox Canada
Ltd.
Peter Rumyee,
Board of
Governors,
Certified
General
Accountants of
Ontario
Janka Farkasova,
Skills for
Change
Golnaz Fatemi,
Skills for
Change
Science & Technology
Dr. Rama Bhat,
York Central
Hospital
Kim Allen,
Professional
Engineers
Ontario
Dr. Sri
Krishnan,
Ryerson
University, 2006
Science &
Technology Award
Recipient
Colin Lindsell,
TD Bank
Financial Group
Jack Wu,
SNC-Lavalin Inc.
Prof. Elvino
Sousa,
University of
Toronto, 2003
Science &
Technology Award
Recipient
Anna Bassovets,
Skills for
Change
Farnaz
Esfahanian,
Skills for
Change
Youth
Susan Rogers,
Xerox Canada
Jehad Aliweiwi,
Thorncliffe
Neighbourhood
Office
Cecil
Canteenwalla,
C&C Consulting
Services
Kathy Hall,
Scotiabank Group
Judith Kaufman,
York Humber
Social Services
Ellen Xi Yang,
2008 Youth Award
Recipient
Corina Carvallo,
Skills for
Change
Nicoletta Verdes,
Skills for
Change
Skills for Change Graduate
Bill Waicus,
Skills for
Change
Afshin Ebtekar,
Hallsall
Associates Ltd.,
2008 Skills for
Change Graduate
Award Recipient
Carmen Jacques,
CGA, Certified
General
Accountants of
Ontario
Danica Jaklin,
CGA, Certified
General
Accountants of
Ontario
Kanchan Kaura,
CGA,CFP
Sattar Rassol,
PClinx Network
Consulting Inc.
Shirley Taylor,
CGA
Olga Grupp-Boland,
Skills for
Change
New Pioneers Awards
Steering Committee
Frank Duong, C&D Graphic
Services Inc.
Gail Johnson, Toronto
Community Housing
Corporation
Catherine Kenwell, The
Canadian College of
Naturopathic Medicine
Jane Cullingworth,
Skills for Change
Dave Lovelock, Skills
for Change
Samantha Koon, Skills
for Change
Arlene Willis, Skills
for Change
Raffle Contributions
Auction
Thank you to these
individuals, companies
and organizations
who donated goods or
services to our Raffle.
Annick Press
Fairmont Royal York
Neinkamper
Porter Airlines Inc.
VIA Rail
