The seventh annual I am London campaign showcases newcomers in the community who have chosen to call London their home.
This year’s social media campaign is putting a spotlight on those working in the city’s health and wellness sectors.
“The idea is to show the community that immigrants come here, they contribute, and they become a (significant) part of our community,” said Huda Hussein, the project coordinator for the London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership.
“It also shows the immigrants (that) if someone can do it, you can as well.”
Our long awaited 'I am London' 2020 campaign launches today! We are happy to introduce Mary Gianan and Hai Su, who call London their home. Read their stories on https://t.co/uXRFSSVEEg #iamlondon #HomeSweetLondon #LdnOnt #ImmigrationMatters #WelcomingWeek #creatinghometogether pic.twitter.com/kW3Op67yVX
— londonmiddlesexlip (@LMLIP) September 15, 2020
Mary Gianan, a personal support worker (PSW), is one of the faces featured in this year’s campaign.
Gianan, who is from the Philippines, came to Canada to work as a nanny in 2005.
The PSW says she was forced to leave her family behind.
Her husband, four-year-old daughter and one-and-a-half-year-old son stayed in the Philippines until 2011 when Gianan was finally able to bring them to Canada.
“It was (difficult), but my main focus was to give a good life to my children and my husband, so that’s why I pursued it,” Gianan told Jess Brady on 980 CFPL’s The Afternoon Show.
Read more:
Canadians celebrating their very first Canada Day feel ‘honoured’
Today, Gianan works at a long-term care home in London, providing care, interactions and emotional support to the elderly.
“We provide care and love… that simple hand-holding, comforting them, talking to them… they light up.
“Especially now (with COVID-19), they feel like they’re trapped (because of) no visitors.”
Gianan was an elementary and high school teacher in the Philippines. She loved her job but has always had a passion for caring for seniors.
“I think it’s in my nature because I grew up with my grandmother, so I have that love for the elderly,” she said.
“I love my job; it rewards me to see them give love and to care for them.”
The I am London campaign first launched in 2013 as a way to celebrate London’s successful immigrants.
The stories of other immigrants featured in this year’s campaign are available online.
-With files from 980 CFPL’s Jess Brady