Eugenia Bravo Alvarez

Colombian refugees with farming background see Alberta as the land of opportunity

Safety, the education system and jobs are three reasons Eugenia Bravo Alvarez and her husband, Miguel, immigrated to Canada in 2006 from Colombia. Both had been working on a farm near Bogota, the capital of Colombia, when the situation in the country changed and made employment impossible for them.

“Our city became a place where we were not able to work for safety reasons. The government was not able to protect us so we became refugees,” explained Eugenia, who prefers not to talk about the environment they left.

Miguel came to Alberta first and Eugenia followed about a year and a half later. “We have family who were already living in Alberta and encouraged us to come,” said Eugenia. She also did research on the Internet before making the move to Canada – something she encourages other newcomers to do.

Eugenia and Miguel now live in Chestermere, a town outside of Calgary. Eugenia is currently upgrading her English skills, and Miguel works at a tree nursery. Both have a bachelor’s degree in agricultural studies.

Eugenia’s advice to newcomers is to look for government programs and services that can help them adjust to living in a new country. She credits the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association for helping her with the transition and directing her to the English courses she has enrolled in at Bow Valley College in Calgary. She has also found the Alberta government’s Job Bank to be helpful.

Eugenia and Miguel’s goal is to continue working in the agriculture and landscaping industry to gain more experience, and one day they hope to open their own business. They encourage people from other countries to immigrate to Alberta for many reasons. “It’s a place with a good economy, friendly people, and a lot of support for newcomers to help find employment and housing,” said Eugenia. “Adjusting to living and working in a new country can be challenging, especially if there is a language barrier, but it’s a process that takes time and is complete when you find a place you can call home.”

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Date Updated: Nov 25, 2009
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