I’m a father of 3 kids from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. My dad left my mom when I was 12, so I left school and started working. The school system there is very different from here. If you fail in one school, you get into another by paying a monthly fee. I never had that opportunity. Instead, I had to drop out. But, later in life, I got technical and vocational education. I tried many careers in St. Vincent; the British Army, the police force, even security, but nothing worked out. Then, I got into hospitality. A Canadian resort in Muskoka, hiring for work in Canada, came to St. Vincent one time to do interviews. I interviewed and they were interested in hiring me! That’s how I came here. I worked at the resort till 2014 and then came to Brampton.

Since my wife and my eldest son were still in St. Vincent for some of the time I was in Muskoka, it was very difficult when my wife and I were apart. We had arguments, we went through separation. But, my father left my mom and I didn’t want to repeat that cycle. I didn’t want to do to my wife, what my dad did to my mom. I didn’t want my child to grow up with a stepfather. I just wanted to be the father that my mom wanted me to be so I can be a good example for my kids. But, I wanted to give up many times because the struggles were too much. Here, you have to struggle to make ends meet.

When my wife and eldest son joined me in Muskoka, I was the only person working and even though I came here as a worker, for me to live here, I had to become a permanent resident – that involved a lot of money. At times I had to clean restaurants at night and still work in the day. Coming here, the difficulty of finding a job, and making sure that food is on the table for my family has been very difficult. But things are better now and I love talking about my experiences. Maybe my story can affect a person’s life and help them achieve their goals.