As many as 1,500 Latin American and Caribbean agricultural workers — men and women — spend up to eight months of the year in the Okanagan but often all they see is the road to and from the airport and the grocery store.
Red de Apoyo para Migrantes Agricolas (RAMA, the Migrant Workers Support Network), is changing that with a variety of services, including English classes, referrals to community and health services and recreational opportunities, translation and interpretation and information on workers’ rights.
The workers are in Canada through a federal government seasonal agricultural worker program agreement with the sending countries, and most have families but are not allowed to bring them.
RAMA grew from a photo exhibition on migrant workers by Elise Hahn when she was working on her Master of Arts degree in political science at UBCO.
“I knew that the workers felt very isolated and quite disconnected from Canada when they were working here,” said Hahn, who speaks Spanish.
Amy Cohen, who also speaks Spanish, had done work with U.S. migrant workers when she was doing her master’s degree in the United States, and whose husband is from Mexico, saw the photos at the Lake Country Museum and was interested.
“We are often approached by Spanish speakers asking for help and when I saw these wonderful photos, I wanted to help in a more organized way. I called Elise,” she said.
They co-founded RAMA with the mandate to support workers in the promotion of their well being and security, guided by what the workers themselves say is needed most. The ultimate goal is to be migrant-worker led, responding to priorities directed by migrant workers themselves.
One of the first projects was the English classes as that was what the workers asked for. So far, workers are getting information about RAMA by word of mouth and information sheets in Spanish.
“Language is an issue and their mobility is restricted, as they stay on the farms in the accommodation provided by the employer. Some employers provide some transportation and some workers can bike but it is generally difficult to get out,” said Cohen, who teaches social and political anthropology at Okanagan College.
The English classes are held Sundays, the workers’ only day off, or evenings with volunteer teachers. There is a need for more volunteers, who can be anyone who speaks English. No teacher training is necessary and volunteers do not need to speak any Spanish. The classes take the format of two-hour sessions in a conversational setting. The present time commitment is one class per month.
Volunteers include people who plan to teach English in other countries and want experience, and those who are interested in food security, immigration, social justice and helping make life better for others.
“At one class, someone asked me, ‘me da una hamburguesa, por favor?’ (can I have a hamburger, please?) Later, he texted me and said he had asked in English and they had understood him. He was so excited,” said Cohen.
Even something as simple as knowing how to introduce themselves in English and do shopping and banking can make a big difference to the workers.
“When someone tells me that when they go home and their family asks them what Canada is like and they have to say they don’t know, to me, that is sad,” said Hahn. “They can come here for as long as 10 years but I am surprised at how limited their social capital is with no family and friends and no one to ask when they need help. We see Latin American farm workers as being really integral to our community but few people know that they are here and how important they are. They should be recognized, appreciated and welcomed.”
Cohen said most workers want to feel a part of the community but often don’t know how, as they are limited by language and transportation.
“They need to have access to a network of people who are knowledgeable about the community and to do that, we need more volunteers. We hope we will be able to provide more opportunities like going to the beach, community entertainment, maybe a community barbecue and soccer game. Some of the workers have family members in the area but don’t get to see them because of lack of transportation,” she said.
For more information about RAMA (the acronym means tree branch in Spanish) or to volunteer, call 250-212-4740, e-mail hola@RAMAOkanagan.org or see www. RAMAOkanagan.org.
