Meet Face of London Dr. Sherin Hussien!

Sherin moved to Canada on March 31, 1999 from Egypt. She arrived and lived in Oakville, Ontario for almost two years before applying to the PhD in Health Sciences program at Western University. Sherin completed her PhD in 2007 and returned to Egypt to teach for 1 year. She came back to London and currently works at the London Cross Cultural Learner Center (CCLC) as a Community Educator, is a visiting professor at Western University, and an Associate Professor at Alexandria University. 

Sherin’s current position at the CCLC is in the Client Support Services program. She primarily works with Government Assisted Refugees.  Sherin and her team help to settle newcomers into the community during their first year here.  She finds the program great for her clients, and says that her job is both stressful and rewarding at the same time.

           

Sherin has been very involved in the London community since she moved here.  Even though volunteering was not a concept that she was familiar with in Egypt, when she came to Canada it was integral to her gaining Canadian experience, building her networks within the community, and discovering where she can fit in. Before coming to Canada, Sherin earned a Masters in Exercise Psychology from Egypt.  She initially started volunteering within her community at the London Muslim Mosque. When they opened a gymnasium attached to the Islamic daily school, this presented the perfect opportunity for Sherin to approach the Imam of the Mosque with her skills as a kinesiologist and they could talk about ways in which she could get involved. She started health and well-being classes in 2001 that are still running to this day. She attributes volunteerism as the key to her settlement and inclusion process, because it allowed her to build her social support systems and networks so that she would not feel isolated. She said that this community exercise group that she fostered is her second family. Moreover, this exercise group became an important part of her dissertation.  Sherin says that her community supported her research.

Some of the other ways she is involved in the community include, her founding and participating in the Muslim Women’s Community support group. In a post 9/11 society, this group of women wanted to open their doors and educate people and fight islamophobia. With many women wearing the Hijab and integrating into many facets of the London community, they were able to support each other and educate the broader public.  Sherin is a big proponent of social integration and celebration of cultural diversity.  She highlights the important role of the Cultural Diversity Days hosted by the CCLC and the annual Christmas Bazaar hosted by the London Muslim Mosque. The Bazaar has grown to become a landmark event uniting Muslims and Christians in London and celebrating the holiday season. 

Overcoming barriers and helping each other is Sherin’s mantra to success in Canada. In addition to her involvement with the Muslim women’s social committee, Sherin is also a long time member of the London and Middlesex LocalImmigration Partnership (LMLIP) through the Health and Well-Being Sub-Council. As a key player in the Seeds of Change Project, Sherin is helping to open dialogue and bring about change. In addition, Sherin is also a co-founder of the Hope Committee at the CCLC, a group dedicated to working as a bridge between individual migrants and the government.  It essentially gives hope and support to others in their time of need.

When asked her advice for newcomers, Sherin says that it is imperative for people to:

1. Seek professional advice and services and 2. Seek a Counsellor because everybody suffers from a degree of post- traumatic stress disorder due to moving to a new country. From her own experience, she recalls: “When I first arrived in Canada, I did not want to lose my cultural heritage, I wanted to close my doors and learn that way”, but she soon realized that through continued involvement and her desire to grow, it was better to open her doors. Her current advice is for newcomers to open their doors little by little, start off with what they are comfortable with and branch out from there. She advises everybody to take advantage of the wonderful programs available, make mistakes, and most of all “go asking for advice from the right sources”.

Sherin says London is a “Wonderful city- very welcoming” with friendly people from her neighbors to colleagues at work. Her two children and husband also love it here, and she now considers London to be home. She would tell everyone living in London to “love each other”  and that “Canada is a wonderful place to be” with no limits to dreams and opportunities.