Roya Rabbani, Executive Director
Roya holds a B.Sc. from the University of Guelph and a Master of Social Work degree from Wilfred Laurier University. She has worked with various communities in urban and rural settings in Jamaica, Brazil, Pakistan and Iran. In Canada, in the past 14 years she has been Executive Director of Jamaican Self-Help (managing CIDA-run projects in Jamaica), Executive Director of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation and Executive Director of African Community Health Services. For the past 8 years she was Executive Director of the Self-Help Resource Centre. In her former life in Iran, Roya was a dentist.
Malik Awan, ISAP Settlement Counsellor
Malik started working with us in February 2009 as a settlement counsellor under the ISAP program. He has an MSC Applied Psychology Degree from University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. He worked in Pakistan in various organizations for 5 years as an addiction counsellor. He also holds a diploma as an addiction worker from CDI College in Hamilton, Ontario. He completed his apprenticeship in ROOF Kitchener and then volunteered with the Canadian Mental Health Association. He also volunteers with the YMCA and Immigrant Services in Cambridge in settlement and mentorship programs.
Languages: Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi
Esther Bruins, Language Assessor
Immigrant Services - Guelph Wellington is a LINC Assessment Centre, offering English language assessments, resources, and referrals to language training programs. Esther is the Language Assessor, TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) Certified and Member of TESL Ontario. She promotes LINC and the Canadian Language Benchmarks throughout Guelph and represents Immigrant Services at LINC and related conferences across the province.
Languages: French, German
Djurdjica Halgasev, ISAP & NSP Settlement Counsellor
Djurdjica started working with us way back in May 2001 as a Settlement Counsellor and currently oversees all programs at the Centre (ISAP, NSP, and LINC). Djurdjica has a B.A. from University of Guelph and a Certificate in Translation and Interpretation from York University. She represents the Centre in the leadership role both in the community of Guelph and in the larger context of our Provincial and Federal funders.
Languages: Serbian, Croatian, Hungarian, Spanish
Maryam Khademi, ISAP Settlement Counsellor
Maryam is a Settlement Counsellor with us since September 2007, and currently works under the ISAP program. She also provides services at St. Georges Centre for ESL and Onward Willow and helps with income tax clinics. She is also an Administrative Assistant under the LINC program.
Languages: Persian, Farsi
Lily Lam, NSP Settlement Counsellor
Lily works with the Centre as a Settlement Counsellor under the NSP program. She brings her experience working with other community agencies in Guelph to Immigrant Services and is recognized in the community. She also serves at Onward Willow—Better Beginnings, Better Futures as an on-site counsellor, specializing in working with the Vietnamese community.
Languages: Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin
Hoda Morgan, ISAP Settlement Counsellor
Hoda has been working with the Centre since December 2006. In addition to being a settlement counsellor, she is an interpreter and document translator (Arabic-English). In her past life in Egypt, she was an accountant for 14 years.
Language: Arabic
Amenda Ng, ISAP Settlement Counsellor
Amenda has served as an ISAP Settlement Counsellor with Immigrant Services since 1997. She performs many roles including: Commissioner for Oaths, On-site Counselling and Settlement Workshops at St.George's Centre for ESL, Income Tax Clinics for Newcomers, to name only a few. She maintains IS-GW's strong ties with other non-profit agencies and the large and thriving Chinese community in Guelph.
Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin
Dayami Ramirez, ISAP Settlement Counsellor
Dayami started working at IS-GW in February 2009 as a Settlement Counsellor under the ISAP Program. She was an Assistant Professor in Cuba where she gained the vast experience in translation and interpretation that she brings to the Guelph community.
Languages: Spanish and French
Manizha Yousifie, ISAP Settlement Counsellor and Administrative Coordinator--Community
Manizha began working with us in February 2009 as a settlement counsellor under the ISAP program. She has a BA Honours in Social Sciences. She also serves as an Administrative Coordinator and is the person to speak with if you have questions about our Translation & Interpretation Program (TIP).
Languages: Pashtu, Dari, Farsi
Kathy Zhao, NSP Settlement Counsellor
Kathy is a Settlement Counsellor under the NSP program. She serves a large and varied clientele. She has assisted with Newcomer Income Tax Clinics and brings many valuable IT skills to the office.
Languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese
