Monday, September 26, 2011
Wali Farah, NDP Candidate Ottawa South
EMC News - NDP candidate Wali Farah is incredibly passionate about his potential constituency. He wants to provide residents in Ottawa south more employment opportunities and improve the quality of education available.
Farah came to Canada as a refugee from Somalia and with determination and drive achieved a PhD from the University of Ottawa in Educational Administration and Organizational Studies.
He has lived in Ottawa south for the last 18 years and currently works as the Director of Programs for the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO).
Farah said he was most interested in the candidacy for Ottawa south MPP so he could provide solutions for the community by putting people first.
"A lot of newcomers come to Ottawa south to live. The schools in the area don't know how to handle the unique needs of the students. Children and parents have trouble connecting."
As a newcomer himself, Farah knows full well about the importance of connecting to the community. Several years ago Farah founded the Learning Together Homework Club, geared toward helping students stay on track academically and providing a connection to the community for new Canadian families.
"(Local) school staff are great people, they are working with what they have. The problem is the education funding formula. I want equitable education standards. The NDP would review the funding formula comprehensibly."
Participation in Farah's Learning Together Homework Club has climbed from 40 students to more than 200. Students are so enthusiastic that the rest of their family joins in too.
"Graduates from the homework club are teachers, business owners and university graduates. The goal was to see the kids do well and they have."
According to Farah the education funding formula allocated funds to schools based on classroom size. The average number of students in an Ontario classroom is 23 but Farah said he has heard it's closer to 34.
"The average looks good but isn't what's happening. Extra circular programs are not funded by the ministry but put on by community volunteers.
According to Farah Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) reports from 2009 show that one third of Grade 3 students failed the test.
Farah has been extremely vocal about job creation and with a nervous middle class watching an unstable economy, job creation initiatives have been not falling on deaf ears.
He said the NDP will be able to create 80,000 jobs in four years by reducing taxes for small businesses and providing subsidies for businesses who hire permanent positions, to help cover the cost of wages.
When canvassing door-to-door Farah has made an unsettling observation university and college grads that "have done everything they were supposed to but are living at home because of a lack of employment opportunities."
Residents of Heron Gate Village have been on the forefront of Farah's mind when they brought housing standards to the public's attention because of claims against TransGlobe concerning heat and hot water stoppages in the winter and mould.
"I challenged McGuinty to visit the neighbourhood but he didn't show.
"The people were short changed by the corporation who abused the tenants. We want to license landlords so we can have more accountability. If you have a good start in a good environment, children will do well.
Farah has gotten to know the residents in Ottawa south throughout the campaign and his community programs. He said the one thing they are calling for above everything else is change.
"McGuinty has been in power for 21 years. A lot of people want change. We are offering that change. We are putting people first and fighting for them. I'm very positive. We have momentum on our side," he said.
Farah believes wholeheartedly that public officials need to be accessible and to truly fight for the community they serve.
"I'm running to serve people in this riding. I'm accessible. I'm hearing they are not getting that from McGuinty's office and they elected the official. I'm going to fight for them. The NDP are about being fiscally responsible and socially generous. That's what it's all about." He added, "I came here a humble man as a refugee with $50 in my pocket. I have a home, a job, a wife and four kids. I am a happy man. Those who need help will get it, helping people helped myself. My nature is to solve problems. If I see a need for help, I don't wait, I do something about it."