‘Second home’ for women.
When a new immigrant arrives in Montreal, it isn’t just the big things like learning the language and finding a job that can be intimidating. Small things add to the stress, like finding your way around the city and figuring out how to use the métro.
Luckily, organizations like the South Asian Women’s Community Centre are there to ease the transition.
“We are kind of a second home” for women who come to the centre, co-ordinator Ramani Balendra said. “When people come here, they can be very isolated. They don’t have any family here, they have only their husbands. In a family violence situation, they don’t know where to go.”
The centre, which is in its 31st year of operation, is aimed at women who have come to Montreal from such countries as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and others in the region, and was originally founded with the intent of helping them integrate into a new culture.
However, since its inception, the centre has expanded its focus to include such programs as language lessons and to tackle issues including domestic violence.
“There are many women who are housebound, and also some who leave home and are in shelters and want
“When people come here, they can be very isolated.” CENTRE CO- ORDINATOR RAMANI BALENDRA
to restart their lives,” Balendra said. “We help them to get through their education or guide them to find a job, and other resources.”
Those resources can include something as basic as how to use public transit. Someof the women who come to the centre have been isolated — for cultural, economic or social reasons — and have to learn from scratch how to live independently.
“Many women never came out and used the métro,” Balendra said. “We explain how it works and how to move around, so they can do things for themselves.”
The centre, which can see as many as 500 clients in a year, is supported largely by grants from the provincial and federal governments.
However, the organization does receive small donations as well, including one from The Gazette Christmas Fund. This year, the centre will distribute $125 each to 50 families to help them celebrate during the holiday season.
“We really appreciate this,” Balendra said. “With this money, we are able to support many single mothers, so they can afford to buy toys for their kids.”