These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Milad Rajabi empowers refugees to protect our climate. This 25-year-old former refugee from Afghanistan founded and runs Refugee Talk to enhance the resettlement process for other newcomers. Now a permanent Canadian resident, he believes some essential ingredients for building a new life here include learning some of our Indigenous heritage and helping make the impacts of climate change on both their homeland and their new country more transparent. 

Tell us about your project.

Refugee Talk lifts up newcomers’ voices so the world can hear and be enriched by their stories. We publish videos and podcasts about their journeys. We offer workshops for newcomers to access housing, education and employment. We support networking and job-hunting. We point them to financial institutions we know have an open attitude towards newcomers. We host conversations between senior newcomers to decrease isolation and improve their conversational English. Our goal isn't just to help newcomers. It is to equip them to add the richness of their experience to the important conversations that affect us all, including protecting our climate and environment and deepening our respect for Indigenous teachings. 

How did you get into this work?

As a male child in Afghanistan, I was expected to protect my sisters and mother but was mostly unable to do that, so we had to leave.  In Turkey, I taught younger children basic education like math and English. Once I came to Canada in 2023, I wanted to help other newcomers and help Canada so the country benefits from their talents, skills and experience. In my resettlement, I was fortunate to be educated about the role colonialism has played in Canada’s history. I developed the idea that for us to be at home here we have to have a relationship with the land. Indigenous teachings have so much to offer us in that exploration. I also became aware that the changing climate is resulting in a lot of migration, considerable hardship and opportunities. It is important to encourage an understanding of both these subjects as part of the resettlement process for others. I imported a structure I developed in Turkey and that helped speed things up. Even though we have only been operating a short time, we are already a registered charity. 

What impact are you having?

For newcomers, the journey to Canada is marked by real hardship. Milad Rajabi, a former refugee, founded an organization to help them with their resettlement in the country he now calls home.

Especially for refugees, the journey to Canada is often marked by real hardship. Our workshops have reached dozens of people from countries like Brazil, Sudan, Iran, Mexico, the Philippines, Congo and my own homeland, Afghanistan. They gain useful knowledge and awareness, and they also build community. Our videos and podcasts have lifted many voices. Our volunteers have gained experience on our board or by making videos or developing podcasts, improving their resumes and earning letters of reference in the process. I still have bad dreams about my own experience, but it feels good to hear people say they are inspired by each other and tell us they are happier because they feel heard. We place a circle of care around newcomers who carry that forward into their interactions with the world. 

The nature of this work requires me to remember my own story and to help others tell theirs. There is a lot of pain. 

It can be challenging to help people see that they have agency to protect what they love from climate change when the damage is often so grave already. 

I am a hopeful person. Perhaps that is true for every refugee. My third day in Canada, I was downtown distributing 50 copies of my resume and I found a job. Helping others see they can also succeed and then watching them do that is so rewarding. Knowing they have at least a basic introduction to these important conversations and will enrich their new home from the wealth of their experience makes me happy. 

How did the way you were raised impact you?

I grew up very fast indeed. I was selling potatoes on the street by the time I was eight years old. I have always known the future is mine to craft. But I have also always known it is not a journey to be taken on my own. I had my sisters and parents to protect and had to figure out a way to bring them with me. Now they are here and they, and many others who have become family to me, support me too. 

What would you like to say to other young people?

Don’t give up. You are only one win away from your next success. 

What about older readers?

Young people are energetic and strong. We can go without food for many hours. Help us use our energy and our hearts and minds for the greater good by mentoring and supporting us and making room for our voices. We have new ideas the world needs.

© National Observer