09/03/2026
Last week at CCIS Calgary, we hosted a Peer Support Circle that was unforgettable.
We were joined by an incredible guest speaker— Sleman ALDib —Founder and Artistic Director of The Arab Canadian Theatre (Kawalease ACT), actor, writer, director, photographer, and recipient of the Canadian Arab Institute's "30 Under 30" Initiative Award.
Sleman shared his journey of arriving in Canada with zero English, feeling lost, and dreaming of becoming an actor while also wanting to give back to his community. He took survival jobs, changed roles often to learn English, and faced rejection after rejection.
But he kept going. 💡
He told our youth participants:
🔹 "You don't have to have everything figured out when you arrive. You just need to take the next step."
🔹 "Don't compare yourself to others—everyone has their own place and their own time."
🔹 "The sky can be grey or black at times, but you are on planet Earth to learn—not to figure everything out at once."
We explored the reality of starting over—the loneliness, the pressure from family and community, the guilt of not progressing fast enough. We talked about networking (building relationships before you need them), transferable skills (customer service → communication, theatre → teamwork, volunteering → community), and practical employment advice for tomorrow.
Sleman also shared a powerful moment from his journey: when Alberta Theatre Projects offered him 300 tickets, he told them he couldn't act in English. Their response? He could perform in Arabic with someone translating. Instead, he created a 15-minute silent show called Jasmine—and raised around $75,000 to sponsor a Syrian family to Canada.
That's resilience. That's community. That's hope.
He reminded our participants: "There is one chance in life—even if I make mistakes, it's okay."
Thank you, Sleman, for your vulnerability, your wisdom, and your light. You showed our youth that their past experiences matter, their struggles are valid, and their dreams are possible.
And to every refugee youth out there building a life from zero—your time will come. Keep going. One step at a time.
