Our History

In the early 1980’s, over 2 million immigrants and refugees arrived in Ontario.  They came from countries as Armenia, Laos, Lebanon, Iran, Ukraine, Vietnam, Egypt, Ethiopia and the Russian Federation.  With increasing numbers of immigrants beginning to arrive to Ontario, there were not many organizations prepared to receive and help them adjust to their new home, Canada.

In 1986 a visionary immigrant woman recognized the need for supporting and empowering newly arrived immigrant women.  Her name is Ariarani  Ariaratnam. She was very aware that most of the immigrant women did not have any advantages of making their integration easier into the Canadian society.  Ari wanted to help. 

Ari brought together a few other likeminded immigrant women to her kitchen table to discuss her vision and its implementation to provide opportunities of personal growth and socio-economic advancement while facilitating the integration of immigrant and visible minority women into Canadian society.  They also wanted to create an organization that would promote skill development, access to education, recreational services and employment for immigrant and visible minority women.  Thus the seed of “Focus for Ethnic Women “(FEW) was sown. 

In 1987 on Ariarani’s behest a feasibility study was conducted with manager Mary Ann Scott, and two researchers, Pushpa Seeraratnam and Lisa Harnelt, working for six months out of the Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA under the guidance of a Board of Directors. From that study began  ”Skills Unlimited”, a program which would provide occupational training in sewing, English-language instruction and life-skills training for immigrant and refugee women.  At that time there were several shirt manufacturing factories in Kitchener and the founding members of FEW recognized that as immigrant women were trained in sewing, there was already opportunity for their employment.  “Skills Unlimited” began operations at 33 Bridgeport Road East in Waterloo in March 1988. Funding was sought by Ari and provided by CEC for Severely Employment Disadvantaged (SED) project under the Canadian Job Strategy.  Her vision was so far sighted that she got computers donated from a local business and a computer training program was also offered at the same location around 1995.

Ari served on the inaugural board of FEW. The board appreciated Ari’s vision and dedication and hired her to be the organization’s first executive director.   

Ari was in liason with the shirt manufacturers and as soon as the women completed the sewing skills program they were hired.  In fact, the sewing skills program was such a huge success that there was a waiting list for admission into the program. This sewing program continued under the name of “Investing in Women’s Future”.

Other programs  offered by FEW included resume writing, interview skills with mock interviews, English speaking skills and guidance to navigate the cities of Kitchener- Waterloo as well as the encouragement to navigate their lives with success. A photography course was also offered.

In the years ahead, Focus helped hundreds of women.  It expanded its range of serviced through programs such as, “Investing in Women’s Future”, funded by the Ontario Women’s Directorate to help women with job search.  Ari also successfully applied in 2002 for funding from the United Wary of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area for a “Healthy Lifestyles Program”, to reach out to women in the community by organizing Friendship groups in various community centres. The in charge of this program, was another founding member, Jazzy Narayan. This program expanded to several sites and was very successful.

Ari took it upon herself to encourage each participant to reach her full potential and goals in their new home, Canada. She received awards for “Woman of the Year’, the “Governor General Award” given by the Government of Canada, three times, “Zonta Woman of Achievement”, “Community Service Award”, “Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award”, to name a few.

Ari retired from Focus in 2003.  In recognition of her years of commitment and service, the board established the Ari Ariaratnam Education and Training Fund in order to assist immigrant and visible minority women with training costs. 

In 2009, FEW changed its location from 33 Bridgeport Road to Columbia Street and then in 2013 to Parkside Drive, all in Waterloo.

In 2015 funding for the “Investing in Women’s Future and “Healthy Lifestyles” programs was lost and these programs were taken over by the YMCA, where the sewing program still thrives.

FEW gave up the brick and mortar location and began offering programs again at community centres in 2017.