I recently met a rather interesting person during my uber ride. His name was Islam, he agreed to have his story told but wasn’t comfortable sharing his pictures.
Islam moved to Canada as a young boy of 6 with his family from Palestine in 1997. His father had a flourishing business back home, but wanted to move to Canada to have a better life for his 4 sons.
Islam went to an English medium school in Palestine so his transition wasn’t as challenging as other immigrant children. The family stayed in Canada for over 6 years but wanted to go back home and try to settle down there permanently. So after many discussions and deliberations they decided to uproot themselves once again and move back to Palestine.
Upon arriving back to their homeland, they realized how different and difficult life outside of Canada was. All of the facilities that the family had grown accustomed to were sorely missed. They tried to acclimate to Palestine but found it too challenging. After about 2 years they moved back to Canada for good.
Islam has a degree in mechanical engineering and has worked with major tech companies. He has tried his hand at business as well and is currently studying to be an immigration consultant. He calls Canada his home and is looking forward to his upcoming nuptials with his childhood sweetheart at the end of this year.
It was a wonderful experience to have met him. He is a man full of positivity and a forward looking attitude. He is one of those people who make you feel like you’ve known them a long time even though you’ve just met them.
Multi-Cultural Mississauga 