Description
This SOPA initiative matches pre-arrival clients (youth, women, and refugees with IRCC travel approval documents) with volunteer mentors in Canada. Mentors are matched based on shared characteristics such as gender, destination city, age, spoken language, or career background.
Matches meet virtually once a week or every two weeks to discuss topics such as:
- Canadian customs, culture, and everyday life
- Tips for settling into your new community
- Language practice in English or French
- Building confidence through informal conversations
- Emotional support and encouragement
This program ensures you don’t feel alone on your journey—you’ll already have a connection waiting for you when you arrive.
Testimonials
"It has been fulfilling to mentor my client, and I look forward to supporting her further as she prepares to settle in Canada."
"Our first mentoring session was incredibly valuable and has given me a much clearer direction for my job search journey in Calgary. I found our conversation very helpful and feel more confident about the steps I need to take moving forward."
"I really felt that I was talking to a sister who holds my hand as I am moving to a scary new place"
"I appreciate Layo's mentorship and I appreciate this opportunity from SOPA that brings a lot of value for people, like me, planning to move to Canada without knowing anyone there. "