Immigrating to Canada
Sabeen and her husband immigrated to Canada four and a half years ago following the declining conditions in their home country of Pakistan. They faced many challenges upon arriving in Canada. In Pakistan, they held well-paying jobs: Sabeen worked as a psychologist and her husband as an engineer. In Canada, her husband was forced into “survival jobs” to make ends meet for quite some time until he landed a position in his field. Sabeen remembers this as a tough time for them both:
“You’re starting from scratch. You’re coming with your degree. You’re thinking that your degree is very valuable, but now you’re coming to a different country — you’re coming to a different planet.”
HIPPY Provided Support
Sabeen is grateful for the support she has received from the HIPPY team at Working Women Community Centre in Toronto:
“Coming to HIPPY and meeting with other mothers and meeting with other people who are in the same circle really motivates you that you are not alone. And it was really nice.”
Looking to the Future
Having immigrated to Canada from Pakistan, Sabeen has had many new opportunities. She now sees herself not only as a mother but as someone with her own ambitions as she hopes to become a successful businesswoman one day. There is no doubt that managing one’s own business can be challenging, but she has great aspirations for the future:
“Your business remains with you. Every time when you are cooking, you are thinking for that thing. You’re always doing your work. But there is a lot of hope and satisfaction that you are doing something.”