Canadian Hazara Humanitarian Services (CHHS)

In line with its mission, CHHS meets regularly with its members in order to stay informed of the most relevant issues, promote volunteering in the community, and support motivated individuals to work in tandem with the organization to develop programming and engage meaningfully with the community. CHHS takes pride in its active involvement in community programs, such as field trips and summer camps for youth and social excursions for seniors, designed to tackle social isolation. CHHS seeks to assist the most vulnerable individuals within Canada by providing resources and basic services to refugees and newcomers in need of shelter and food. By offering community resources and services (such as interpretation, transportation and counseling), countless individuals have been assisted by CHHS volunteers in the past two years alone.

People fleeing persecution and conflict have been seeking asylum in foreign lands for thousands of years, but over the past decade, the global population of forcibly displaced people has grown substantially.
There are millions of stateless people, who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment, freedom of speech and freedom of belief. There are millions of people who are forcibly displaced every day as a result of conflict or persecution; thus work supporting the rights of refugees is more important than ever before.
Private refugee sponsorship is a relational program in which sponsors work together to help refugees resettle and integrate into a local Canadian community.
Immigration is an integral part of Canada’s history and a key part of its future. Indeed, it would be impossible to tell the story of Canada without also telling the story of how it has been shaped by immigration. Immigration plays a key role in contributing to Canadians’ well-being, economic prosperity, and success as a nation by promoting compassion, efficiency, and economic opportunity for all.
Canadian Hazara Humanitarian Services is not presently a sponsorship agreement holder (SAH), but in partnership with other organizations, CHHS strives to support the sponsorship of refugees and their families. Further, CHHS aims to assist in raising the funds necessary to bring a displaced family to Canada and support them as they begin a new life.
CHHS staff and volunteers address challenges and build solutions from the perspectives of refugees themselves, as many members of our community have experience immigrating or resettling to Canada. This understanding informs the work of CHHS and affirms our commitment to a more compassionate and equitable society.

Canadian Hazara Humanitarian Services (CHHS) strives to provide quality and culturally sensitive resettlement & integration services to newcomers and individuals in need of support in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The goal of our settlement services is to empower newcomers to Canada by providing information, guidance and referrals to community and social services in both Dari & English languages.

Our Settlement Services will be offered through both one-on-one counselling and open information sessions. These services will support integration into Canadian society and ensure a positive settlement experience for newcomers.

CHHS Settlement Services will assist newcomers (immigrants and refugees) to settle into their new lives in the GTA by providing support, information, referrals, advocacy, workshops, and orientation for families and individuals. Our Settlement counsellors provide one-on-one and group counselling to help newcomers overcome day-to-day challenges and connect them to the community services they need. We aim to support newcomers throughout the process of settling into the city and adapting to a new cultural environment.

We believe that the social and cultural integration of immigrants in Canada goes hand-in-hand with economic integration. Strong and supportive local networks (often ethnic, multi-ethnic or neighbourhood-based networks or community groups) are part of what attracts, integrates and retains immigrants successfully in Canada.

CHHS looks forward to working with its external partners throughout the community in order to provide youth, women, families, seniors and newcomers a safe place where their religion, gender, sexual orientation and age are both respected and celebrated. Newcomers will have the opportunity to be in a supportive and affirming environment where they can strengthen
their relationships to their community.

The Social and Cultural Services department at CHHS aims to provide ongoing cultural and social support to newcomers in order to assist their integration into Canadian society. Our goal is to enhance the lives of individuals, their families and their communities by promoting heritage, cultural awareness, and meaningful social connections for diverse communities.

 

Our Social and Cultural Services Department works on:
  1. Social Connections
    • Creating meaningful social connections for culturally diverse communities through a range of programming (i.e. arts, culture, sports, festivals)
    • Celebrating inter-generational community through traditional music, arts, heritage, craft, local food and workshops
    • Building women’s networking groups to establish social networks, support integration, and to break isolation
  2. Offering support and tools needed to manage the challenges relating to stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, parenting, family conflict, trauma and other life transitions:
    • Culturally-sensitive counseling to newcomer individuals, couples and families
    • Community services for anyone affected by family violence and the provision of Family Violence education programs to families and groups
    • Providing mental health awareness program for isolated older adults to connect them with people and services in the community
  3. Promoting multicultural awareness, access, participation, communication and unity among the diverse communities:
    • Supporting inter-cultural dialogue and multiculturalism by documenting and sharing the traditions, culture, religion, language and history of Hazara people in Canada
    • Holding yearly celebrations for Nowroze (Afghan/Persian New Year) and other cultural celebrations
  4. Youth Empowerment
    • Youth Empowerment through group activities to create an opportunity to meet regularly and participate in various activities in order to develop solutions that are grounded in their experiences
    •  Creating opportunities for youth to become actively involved with their community, volunteer, and share their skills and knowledge

We would like to promote the central role of education in advancing the wellbeing of our community, in order to develop strong foundations for a better and brighter future.
We are a diverse team of educators, trained staff, and students committed to improving community-centred teaching and learning through innovative research, reflection, and ongoing feedback in partnership with our communities.
Our mission is to promote educational, social, health and safety awareness for families, students, and newcomers. In doing so, we aim to equip community members with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate a rapidly changing society. By supporting equitable access to education, resources, and information, we seek to empower the most marginalized segments of society to realize their full potential.
CHHS welcomes individuals from all ages and backgrounds to participate in and/or contribute to our programming. We embrace diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender identity, status as a parent, marital status or political affiliation.

Our goals at the Education Department include:

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

  • Developing Farsi (Dari) language training programs in Ontario
  • Developing English courses and activities for seniors and newcomers

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

  • Establishing educational support programs for those interested in pursuing their higher education or continuing studies in Canada (connecting individuals to new opportunities in continuing education, transfer of credentials, etc.)
  • Supporting intergenerational dialogue and fostering collaboration between families, communities and school boards in order to develop holistic programming that better serves the whole community
  • Supporting pathways to success through planned programming and online sessions on relevant social and educational issues (such as preparing educational videos and sessions regarding health, hygiene and oral health)
  • Promoting individual and collective well being, by releasing an up-to-date, research-based Health and Education curriculum that provides our communities with the information they need to stay safe in today’s complex and ever-changing landscape.