West Island Citizen Advocacy, also known as WICA, has been serving Montreal’s West Islanders for the last 49 years. Its purpose is to support and defend the rights of vulnerable or disadvantaged people in its community to improve their quality of life.
Director Roya Jaffari was born in Afghanistan but immigrated to Canada in 2000 with her mom and two sisters.
“Never, never, ever in my life I imagined one day of being here in Canada. So this is, I see that as the biggest blessing of my life,” Jaffari said.
Jaffari offered the following advice to newcomers: “Canada is a country full of potential and opportunity. Don’t waste your time.” Though she admits “Life is not going to be as easy as someone may imagine.”
Jaffari’s father passed away when she was young and her mom was left with her siblings, raising seven children, on her own.
“Unfortunately, in many countries in the world, including my own country Afghanistan, you see women how restricted they are in every area of their life.
“In Canada it’s completely opposite. Luckily we have the equality of gender. The equality of cultures. You know we have this. Use it in a good ethical way.”
The West Island Citizen Advocacy Community Apartment Program (CAP) was established in 1986 as a response to the desperate need for long term, loving and supportive housing for adults who experience mental health problems in the West Island.
WICA moves forward while giving back.
Jaffari offers insight into the non-profit: “We appreciate and we promote and we encourage diversity and the support and the help that we’re giving to the most vulnerable of our community.”
WICA’s services are as diverse as their volunteers and clientele.
“It’s serving the community in the West Island and helping the most vulnerable people of the community, whether they’re seniors or families with children or people with mental health challenges that they’re facing right now; that we’re seeing more and more.”
Iris Faucher, who identifies as female, is a client of WICA and shares the impact it has made in her life: “I now have a roof over my head and it’s affordable, it’s comfortable. I like the people with me.”
WICA describes what it does as very unique among all the charities on the West Island.
“We’re matching a person in need with a volunteer one-on-one and what makes WICA, our organization, unique is that this is the only organization in the West Island that does this type of pairing is one-on-one,” Jaffari said.
For the program to run successfully, WICA needs the community’s help. According to Jaffari, the non-profit is projected to be facing a deficit of $30,000 by their year end, next March.
“We need volunteers because we’re a team of 15 coordinators, administrative people in the back, but the actual work is done through the volunteers.”
To check out WICA’s services or to see how you can help, visit volunteerwica.com.
