Nancy Morris introduced our guest for tonight, Shamiso. The Charleswood and Downtown Rotary clubs helped her travel to Canada in 2011. This is her story since then.

 

Shamiso advised that she has just recently graduated from University. She arrived in Canada in Nov. 21, 2011 with a limited understanding of English. This made her uncomfortable in social situations, let alone the thought of going to University. She was 18 years old when she arrived in Canada, she has a photo of herself arriving at the airport with slippers on her feet. Meanwhile it was winter outside in Winnipeg at the time. Everything would be small “footsteps” for her in Canada.

 

She was quite young when her mother had to leave home for Canada, because the government was going to kill her if she stayed. Shamiso had mixed feelings about that time in her life. Then it came time for her to leave, with the assistance of the Rotary clubs of Winnipeg - Charleswood and Downtown. The clubs paid for her travel, shelter and education. In February of 2012 she got a work permit to enable her to get a job in Canada. She had to have an interview with the manager of the Charleswood Safeway. This was difficult for her to do, but she did. She was unsure of the coin currency denominations in Canada at the time of the interview. She got the job! Another “Footstep”.

 

In September of 2012 she was enrolled in classes at the University of Manitoba as well as working at Safeway. She was 18 years old. This was not usual for young people back home, they usually don`t work until 25 years of age. In 2013 – 2014 she was in accounting, not the right fit for her. Time to change “shoes” again. In 2015 -2016 she found the right fit at University, Technical Communications.  She went to a presentation that she had to do wearing sweatpants. She didn`t know that the grading would include personal presentation of herself. She learned right there that she must look presentable when in public. At one point she found herself in a “wrong shoe” situation. It involved work with the back end of cows. She stepped right in the dung. Her measurements that day were not very accurate. She learned that she must get through her courses by toughening up and to do what had to be done to graduate.

 

Shamiso had a measurement project that involved the growth of crop seeds in large pots. She didn`t get the water measurement correct on the first attempt, this drowned the seeds. A second crop seed pot was started. This time she got the seed planted and watered correctly. Now she was able to get the required measurements. She now had two pots to get measurements from and present the data from the two different pots.

 

In 2018 she graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts, won an award at Graduation. Shamiso expressed her gratitude to her family and friends.

 

Q/A

 

1.-Nancy Morris asked what her biggest challenge has been?

A.- Just getting into the system. The first two years at University she really didn`t know what she wanted to do. Her English is better now. She just finished a work contract. She is looking for a job.

 

2.-John Inglis asked what is next for her?

A.- She hopes to enroll in her Masters studies in Saskatchewan.