Website creator reaches out to Spanish-speaking immigrant women
International Women's Day is March 8…

By Bryan Alary
Globe Editor
Tuesday March 07, 2006

Lacombe Globe — Sandra Epp’s first year in Canada was isolating. Somehow, the pieces were missing and she felt like a stranger very far from her birthplace in Temuco, Chile.

"It was very difficult," Epp explained. "I felt lost most of the time. I was lacking information that made me feel like I didn’t belong here."

Interacting in public was taxing, the food and weather were different and Epp became self-concious about her accent.

With time, she built a foundation of knowledge that’s helped her survive. She’s grown stronger. "Now I feel like I can move freely because I’m not afraid."

Now Epp is reaching out. She’s in the process of creating a network for Spanish-speaking immigrant women in Central Alberta. In a few weeks, Epp will launch her new website, www.centralalbertaspanishwoman.com. Her goal is simple--to help make the transition less painful through experience, empathy and wisdom.

"It’s to encourage another woman to go ahead," said Epp, who works with recent immigrants every day. She’s a translator for businesses that recruit foreign labour to work in Central Alberta. She also teaches at the Red Deer Spanish School.

Epp came to Canada for a vacation, visiting a close friend. She eventually decided to stay, setting in motion a new chapter in her life. Now living in Blackfalds, Epp’s been in the area for six years.

Without time or a place to meet Spanish people, Epp decided to bring them to her, via the Web. She contracted a design team to build the website after starting on the project last summer.

The website will officially launch in the next few weeks. Epp is currently working on last minute translations from English to Spanish. The site features everything from a job board, links for English as a second language (ESL) classes, to favourite recipes from home.

It also tells personal stories of Spanish women who’ve managed to succeed in Canada. The site currently features the story of Chilean Ingrid de la Barra, whose first experiences in Canada were harsh with a steep learning curve. She eventually landed a job teaching Spanish extension courses at the University of Alberta and later wrote a book.

Epp hopes such tales will inspire a network of women to realize their potential. "I know more about her, many could relate to her story."

The Spanish-speaking community in Central Alberta is steadily growing as companies recruit workers from countries like Mexico and El Salvador, she said. One company she works with recently brought 24 employees to the region from Mexico about a month ago.

"These people, especially Spanish women, face many problems like self esteem. You don’t know the language, you have an accent and you’re not in your environment. Even the light is different."

Although the economic climate of many Spanish-speaking nations means many recent immigrants aren’t very familiar with computers or the Internet, Epp feels they’ll eventually be exposed to the web. Libraries usually have Internet access, as do many English as a second language (ESL) classes.

If the website helps bridge a cultural gap, Epp will be satisfied. More than that, she’ll feel inclusive. That’s what sharing is about.

– editor@lacombeglobe.com