Four Kenyadians nominated for Canadian Top Immigrants Award

Support these role models and help encourage a positive image of Kenya by casting your vote. Go to www.canadianimmigrant.ca/rbctop25 website and cast your vote for up to 3 people. Voting ends May 13, 2016.

Kenyan Canadians Narmin Ismail, Jacobet Edith Wambayi, Dr. Lalji Halai and Irene Njoroge-Maina are part of the 2016 nominees and you can read their full profiles on the voting website.

What is RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants all about?

RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants is a peoples’ choice award that recognizes inspirational immigrants who have come to Canada, achieved success and made a positive difference living here. Whether it’s a community advocate or volunteer, a successful entrepreneur or a cultural icon, this is the first Canadian national award program that recognizes immigrants’ achievements from all walks of life.

Recognizing Canada’s top immigrants provides an entire nation of immigrants with positive examples. The selected 25 immigrants will inspire and motivate all immigrants as they establish their new life and home in Canada.

Who are these nominees?

Founder and CEO, of the Spark of Hope Foundation, Narmin Ismail is a seasoned leader in building, mentoring, supporting and motivating dynamic and growth-focused teams with a particular focus on communications and change management. She has extensive entrepreneurial experience with a broad mix of management and leadership skills in for-profit and not-for profit sectors, previously working as CEO of Daughters for Life Foundation and co-founder of Climb for Leaders. smail had a vision of impacting the world through women.

Jacobet Edith Wambayi is a single mother who has brought up a lovely family, got herself educated to doctorate level and despite all the hard work that entailed, never forgot those less fortunate than herself.
In her words – My interest in fighting HIV started with the first case diagnosed in Kenya in 1984. I worked with NGOs in my free time while employed by Ministry of Health/Kenya Medical Research Institute. I continued with this fight in Canada more so as HIV is a gender driven disease disproportionately affecting women all over the world. I founded Uzima Women Relief Group International and through it we are helping women and their families affected by poverty, war and disease with particular focus on women and children living with HIV/AIDS globally. Through this award, Uzima will get recognized by top donors who will enable us to support more women globally.  I hereby appeal to you to vote for me to increase my chances of being among the top 25 finalists for the Canadian Immigrant Awards 2016.

Dr. Lalji Halai immigrated to Canada from Kenya as an international medical graduate (IMG) with six years of work experience as a general practitioner in Nairobi, Kenya in July 2012. Just three years later, he started working as a physician in Metro Vancouver, a major feat for any internationally trained physician in Canada who has to relicense here. While preparing and passing all exams for his medical licensure in just 11 months, he was working full-time as a team lead at Target in order to meet his financial needs.

Irene Njoroge-Maina needs no introduction to most of us as she is the one who together with her family took it upon them to host Baby Fidelis Muthoni while she was undergoing treatment at the Hospital for Sick Kids in Toronto. Irene is also the founder and director of CAFRIC International, an organization that is focused on creating awareness and ending stigma around mental illness and substance use.

This is an honour and testament to the ability & excellence of Kenyans anywhere. The voting process is very easy and fast so take a moment to vote and promote our own!

~ Wakenya Canada