MOST Profile: Uni-Cultural Collaborators

Kokila Khanna
“India Canada, which has been here since 1967, represents everyone in terms of culture and it started with university teachers, lecturers and students,” says past president, Kokila Khanna, lawyer and second generation Kenyan, who immigrated to Canada in 1990.   
Khanna estimates there are about 20,000 East Indians in KW, including Tamil, Punjabi, and Mulanis, adding that besides observing traditional cultural events throughout the year in KW, India Canada Association Waterloo Region also organizes debates, forums and seminars. They are happy to assist all new members in a Western world context, while honouring and showcasing the best of Indian tradition.
In May the India Canada Association (ICA) will hold its traditional silk bazaar featuring a tantalizing meld of dance, food and merchandise in conjunction with KW’s annual festival of cultural diversity – Tapestry.
ICA’s annual event – working with other South Asian groups – is Mela, a South Asian Cultural Festival of arts, food and crafts held this year on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 at Kitchener’s City Hall Civic Square.
In addition to hosting many successful seasonal events year round, India Canada plays another crucial societal role for those caught between two cultures. ICA Outreach was co–founded in 2005 by Kokila Khanna, fellow ICA board members and assisted by Waterloo neuropsychologist Dr Lorie Saxby. This program is a place for New Canadians to get answers to questions about their community, help them connect, interact, and integrate into society. The ICA Outreach offers a website and contact number information to anyone new in the area.  
 “It’s a wonderful program and we try to help as much as we can, because the main idea is for them to connect with other people,” says Khanna.  
Regarding her own heritage, Khanna’s never been “ritualistic”, but cherishes the values, principles, language and music of her Indian heritage. She enjoys the benefits of her Western life, while retaining a sense of the right core values from both.
“That’s what I would like my children to do…” says Khanna, “take the best from both worlds and then move on.” Adding that in her role with ICA, she will continue to guide new Canadians in every facet of Western life and strengthen societal links – from finding suitable housing to sourcing out a family doctor.  
Observes Khanna: “We need a river running through it all.”

 Sushma Joshi
The East Indian Ladies Club (EILC) has been in the KW area since 1974.
Like ICA, this club began with professional couples, the husbands working at colleges and universities while their wives stayed home raising young families, wanting to know more about Canadian ways.
“They (women) needed a support group that offered more information about women’s issues, life skills, education and community resources,” explains current EILC president Sushma Joshi, group facilitator and intake coordinator at Focus For Ethnic Women.  
Sometimes EILC will collaborate with other associations like India Canada. Joshi is a board member helping them to promote and vice versa.   
Spring Gala, one of EILC’s main annual events, was recently held at Kitchener’s Delta Hotel featuring Indian food, music and dance. Another important Hindu celebration is Diwali or The Festival of Lights, featuring a traditional dinner, prayer, entertainment and dance. Both events cater to couples and families, and EILC has about 85 members from 100 area families.   
To give back to the community, East Indian Ladies Club has allotted a scholarship fund for student development and donates to crisis abuse centres in addition to organizing an annual food drive for the Food Banks.   
On May 26, The East Indian Ladies Club will happily take time out of their busy schedules to once again prepare a special East Indian brunch of rice, chickpeas and samosas, for the highly appreciative residents at St. John’s Soup Kitchen.       
Globally, the EILC recently donated proceeds to Haiti from a benefit screening of the Bollywood movie Paa at The Princess Cinema, and Joshi says when a natural disaster occurs, the club will also donate.
EILC continues to hold monthly events bringing in guest speakers from the community covering a variety of women’s issues from proper make-up application and bra fitting, to identity theft, medications and
investment advice – even Zumba dance.   
Joshi adds there is a club booklet with all EILC events and memberships, local
holidays, directions and contact emails, plus other vital information, which helps
members to connect.  
This summer, Joshi through her capacity at Focus For Ethnic Women, plans to speak to the EILC about job search and second
career strategy. As president of EILC, Joshi wants all members to  get the vital
information necessary to make informed choices in their new Canadian life.  

Claudia Zuniga
On Feb 27, 2010, Claudia Zuniga, Isabel Cisterna and many more with friends and family, were shocked to hear the news of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that caused widespread devastation in their native home of Chile.
Both women pitched in and helped in the relief effort– Cisterna’s Neruda Productions (who recently held Café for Haiti) presented Café Cabaret Intimo with the flamenco fusion of Ojos Negros to help with Chilean disaster relief.   
Zuniga and a group of Chilean women “who simply banded together,” presented a recent fundraiser – Chile Quake Relief 2010 benefit concert – at The Gig Theatre featuring Latin American folksinger Marcella Puente, to help the city of Talca, (300 kms south of Chilean capital Santiago, Zuniga’s hometown) where clean-up continues and food and clothing is still desperately needed.    
“Things were just washed away and because of the constant aftershock, rebuilding will likely have to wait a while. So for the people in Talca, it’s like camping. They need clothing, pots, pans, everything,” suggests Zuniga, who with Cisterna and other women are working on sending a 20-foot container of warm clothing and cooking supplies to Chile. They are hoping the cargo will get there in June (it takes three weeks by boat) in time for Chilean winter. Proceeds from the concert will go toward covering transportation costs and docking fees.    
Zuniga is overjoyed with Chile Quake 2010 Relief’s progress to date and says through great connections, corporate sponsorships, and the “awesome” team both in Canada and Chile, they are close to meeting the June deadline. Once that happens, Zuniga says the group may begin plans to fill another container for the people of Talca, Chile, who will need ongoing help for ages to come. Those wishing to donate items can contact Mabel Garcia Bonilla at garciabonilla@hotmail.com or call 519-208-3808.