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Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival and Panel Discussion

in partnership with ELLA

Everyone Welcome

Join us for an inspiring evening featuring two powerful short films, followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion with local leaders who have become part of our community through their unique and moving journeys.

This event is a chance for us to engage in meaningful dialogue and strengthen our community bonds. We look forward to sharing this experience with you and working together to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.

Welcoming Week, from September 13th to 22nd, celebrates the people, places, diversity, and values that make our community inclusive and welcoming, fostering a sense of belonging for everyone.

Successful integration is a two-way street: the more welcoming communities are, the more newcomers feel at home and contribute locally.

The Films

From Far Away - 6 mins - animation

This short animation tells the story of Saoussan, a young girl struggling to adjust to life in Canada after being uprooted from her wartorn homeland. She has come to seek a quieter and safer life, although memories of war and death linger, memories that are awakened when the children at her new school prepare for a scary Halloween. From Far Away speaks to the power within us all to adapt like Saoussan and to welcome a newcomer.

A Passage Beyond Fortune - 16 mins - live action

Through an intimate archive of the Chow’s family lineage, A Passage Beyond Fortune offers an homage to the culturally significant but buried history of Chinese-Canadian communities in Moose Jaw.

The Panelists

Yan Li

In 2002, Yan Li and her husband travelled over 5,000 miles from southwest China to Canada with four bags - bags full of memories and dreams for a new life.

Yan is very active with the local Chinese community. She volunteers with the Chinese Canadian Women's Federation and is the General Secretary of the Waterloo Chinese Community Association. She helped found the Waterloo Chinese Philharmonic Choir and supports the Waterloo Chinese Reading Club. Since 2010, Yan has hosted a Mandarin-language radio program on 98.5 CKWR where she shares music and information about what is happening in the community. She now works as a real estate agent with Peak Realty, helping many people find and establish a home in Waterloo Region.

Fadhwa Yusuf

Fadhwa is a Global Speaker, Transformational Life Coach, Talk Show Host. Fadhwa is also the recipient of 2023 The Torch Bearer Award and is launching her first book Going The Distance. Fadhwa’s mission is to empower others to live an authentic life, and manifest the life they envision and desire.

Immigration journey: I am from East Africa(Somaliland) Lived in Kenya, migrated to England, Migrated to Canada, Migrated to Wales, then back to Canada.

Fidelia Ukueje

In 2013, Fidelia Ukueje left her new husband and came to Canada five months pregnant and without knowing a soul to attend classes at Conestoga College.

Since then, she has become a seasoned, results-oriented project manager, with skills in leadership and marketing, customer relations, creative development, coaching and mentoring and vendor procurement. Currently, she is a social planner in children’s services for home childcare, Region of Waterloo. She also worked as a Program Assistant with Conestoga College and as a Social Planning Associate, Children and Youth Planning Table. She is also the founder and current President of NIROW Nigerians in The Region of Waterloo. Fidelia has made significant contributions to both her professional field and the community. Her story is truly remarkable, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and a passion for serving others.