BARBRA CHIMHANDAMBA
I first heard about Carty House from a friend who is also a Board member. I was drawn to supporting refugee women because I have a passion for helping others, especially those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in difficult and challenging situations.
I am constantly looking for opportunities to make a positive difference in someone else’s life in the same way I have been blessed by others throughout my life. Women, in particular, have a special place in my heart because of the many barriers and dangers they face in life. Uprooting and relocating to a new country is a daunting experience, even under the best of circumstances, and it is something I have personally experienced in my diplomatic career. It is for this reason that I felt moved to contribute to refugee women who face the challenges of having to rebuild their lives in Ottawa without their families and friends.
When not volunteering at CH, I am preoccupied with international issues as a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for International Policy Studies at the University of Ottawa.