Abisi Olivier, a former refugee from Congo, is one of eleven refugees who departed for Canada in late 2023 to work as Continuing Care Assistants through the Economic Mobility Pathways Project (EMPP). Although he trained as a nurse assistant, Abisi had been teaching history and Kiswahili at a high school.
“When I got to the Kakuma refugee camp, I began working as a community health worker. That is when I became curious to learn more about health sciences. So, I enrolled for nursing studies at the Kenya College of Commerce and Hospitality. Before my interest in nursing, I trained as a teacher at the university where I learned the skills to be a primary and high school teacher,” Abisi said when he spoke to us.
In 2021, Abisi received a WhatsApp message from a friend with information about RefugePoint’s Economic Mobility Pathway Program. Although his application was successful, Abisi had to wait three years for this dream to come true.
I’m feeling so happy because this opportunity will change many things in my life and help my family, who are remaining behind,” Abisi said.
“When I get to Canada, I want to improve my skills to be a full nurse and help fellow refugees who are still in the camps. My hope is that I’m going to a multicultural country and environment, and I’m going to enjoy my freedom, which I did not have before,” Abisi said.