I'm a mom of three immigrants! Our first year in Canada was very hard. My kids suffered from bullying, racism and loneliness. It took us two years to start integrating and to my children having their first friend. As I'm doing my Master degree in Educational Technology, I decided to invest all my efforts and experience to help newly immigrant children integrate both socially and culturally into their new environment.

A month ago, I was with my daughter on her first day of school when I saw a woman with a familiar face sitting on a bench with a young girl. While she was talking to her with a calm reassuring voice, trying to convince her that everything was ok, the woman's pale face and anxious eyes were looking everywhere exposing the fear she was feeling.
I kept looking at her until her eyes caught mine.
Suddenly, her face glowed with a big smile. She recognized me. We were colleagues at my old school. She joined the team a month before I left to Canada. We didn't really know much about each other but, at that moment, I was the only one she knew!
This lady accompanied her sister and two children to Canada to help them settle down. The mother of the two used to work at her kids' school which made her terrified to leave them, for the first time of their life, alone. They were new to the country, had no friends, had no idea of how things were done here... they were normal immigrants!
The first thing that I did, of course, was introducing my daughter to her niece and made sure that they stay together all day long, or at least during the breaks. My daughter promised to show her around and get her to meet new friends. Before leaving, I gave the lady my cell number and asked her to call if she needed something, anything!
The sister called me that same day to thank me and my daughter for what we did!
She told me that she spent the last three days crying, worried about her kids. Knowing that her daughter won't be alone was the best news she ever had! I was really touched.
I remember when I first came to Canada and my kids knew nobody.
I remember asking my daughter's teacher to help me finding her a friend and the answer I received was: "I have no time to worry about your daughter's social life, go to the park and find her a friend there!"
That day I knew I had to do something but had no idea what.
At the same time, I started attending my Social Computing class and was required to find a community with a certain need, and try to help its members using technology.
So I thought, what would be more perfect to my Tech Stewarding project than to help immigrant parents get connected!
The idea was to help immigrant parents find each other and interact. They could also connect with helpful local parents from whom they would seek information and advice.
The families could be matched accordingly to their country of origin, their children's age, schools, interests, hobbies etc... They would support each other while their children discover their new country with their new friends!
The best way to do that was through Social Media!
After all, Social Media can reach almost everyone!

Pls join me at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Connect-Immigrant-Parents/164161240265580?ref=sgm