Ekta Kudale, Youth Services Facilitator

My name is Ekta. I am from Pune, a small city in India. I completed my first Masters from Pune University in Culture, Gender and Development Studies and continued working with non-governmental organizations in India. While working with people from a myriad of backgrounds, ethnicities, languages and cultures, I realized that though we all are so similar, we are yet quite different. These differences need to be acknowledged and most importantly respected. To understand more about cultures and attain the power to mediate inter cultural communication, I came to Canada to pursue my second Master’s degree, this time, in Intercultural and International Communication Studies.

Anwer Al-Edhari, SWIS Worker

Hello! My name is Anwer Al-Edhari, I was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq. I came to Canada in 2007. Victoria, BC was the city that I settled in. Between 2003 and 2007 in Iraq, I was a teacher, social worker and volunteer aid worker with UNCHCR, UNICEF, Safe Children UK, an Italian aid agency, and more.

Volunteering and participation in community events, and becoming part of the beautiful fabric of Victoria has helped me to understand and believe in the diversity of the community that I live in. My passion towards my new home here in Canada always motivates me to help my community.

Coming from Iraq, I believe I have an understanding of the needs of refugees, what they went through, and what they are hoping for in the future. Combined with the high level of service and work that ICA delivers to newcomers and refugees makes me very proud to be a member of the ICA team. Helping refugees and newcomers to understand, learn, adapt and believe in a new home is one of my main goals, as well as to grow within the beautiful fabric of multicultural Victoria.

I like to read stories, meet new people, hike, and walk outside with friends – most especially in many of Victoria’s natural parks!