BUILDING CAPACITY FOR ETHNO-CULTURAL SENIORS

MIAG is pleased to introduce ‘Building Capacity for Ethno-Cultural Seniors’, which will launch on February 12, 2010. This program came as a result of assessing the needs of seniors from the diverse communities. It is designed to empower them and give them more self confidence and well being. The program is receiving tremendous amount of responses from ethno-cultural seniors to participate and to learn more skills.

Seniors of ethno-cultural communities will upgrade their skills, maintain their independency and will reduce their isolation by learning how to use new communication technology tools. They will become more resourceful and clear about their rights, the plans and programs that they can apply for, and nobody can take advantage of them just because they lack tech. information and skills. This will empower them and will have a very significant impact on their self-confidence, well-being and mental health. The program will have a ripple effect on their families and netwoks. Seniors is a wealth of knowledge and life experience and we don’t want to loose it when we can extend hands of support to keep them in the loop.

This program consists of two components that will take place over a ten week span. The first component is computer training. This will allow seniors to get hands on training on the following e-communication technology: basic computer skills, internet search, e-mail messages, messenger, Skype, and much more.

The second component is awareness building workshops that fosters their integration into the Canadian society by building their knowledge of the retirement process, pension system, health and long term care system, how to write a will…ect. This program has been divided into four groups, taking place at different times and days of the week, to allow maximum accessibility. Already the computer training component has filled up, and the awareness building component is well on its way.

An achievement celebration will be organized at the end of the project involving all participants. Seniors will share best practices and successful stories. They will be encouraged to form a network among them so the more active seniors will support the resourceless ones. This will be a core of a Senior Network Support Group.

We would like to thank the ‘New Horizons for Seniors Program’ for their generous financial support for this program.

Elsa Galan, Project Coordinator