The Skills Were Already Here: Namita’s Story
Most evenings, Namita picks up her daughter from daycare, makes it home, and opens her laptop. From 6PM to 10PM, she studies.
It’s the last stretch of a long day. Mornings are for household chores and supervisor meetings. From 10 to 4, she’s out doing the work she loves: visiting families as a Home Visitor with the At Home in Canada programs in Nova Scotia.
But the evenings belong to her future.
Namita earned a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science in India. Even then, children kept finding her. She spent her free time tutoring kids in her neighbourhood in math, science, English and reading:
“Seeing a child understand something new always gave me a sense of purpose."
When her family settled in a small Nova Scotia town, full-time engineering work wasn’t an option. So Namita followed that sense of purpose.
She provided child minding at Trinity Church and the YMCA. For the past three years, she’s been a At Home in Canada Home Visitor, coaching mothers, many of them newcomers, to build their children’s early literacy, numeracy and confidence at home.
She knows those families’ challenges firsthand:
“I went through many of those challenges myself."
Namita had years of hands-on experience in early childhood development, plus a degree and two children of her own. But on paper, Canada didn’t see any of it. Her international credentials weren’t recognized, and going back to college full-time while working and raising two kids wasn’t realistic.
That’s the gap RISE (Recognizing Immigrant Skills in Education) was built to close. Mothers Matter Canada partners with the University of British Columbia and Vametric to assess and credit what women like Namita already know. Then they get a real pathway to a Canadian Early Childhood Education credential.
The program isn’t easy. Namita is learning in a format that’s new to her: online, reading-heavy, with assignments every two weeks. It’s very different from the lecture halls she knew. She’s doing it anyway, four hours a night.
What’s on the other side? School assistant roles, settlement services and a professional title that matches the expertise she’s been building for years. It also means a deeper understanding of child development to share with the families she serves:
“I want to be someone parents can trust, who understands their culture, and who can guide them in supporting their children.”
When Namita thrives, every family she visits feels it. Their children start school more ready to learn. Communities gain a trained, trusted educator who was already among them.
The skills are already here. Help us recognize them.
Your gift helps more women like Namita turn years of experience into a credential that opens doors.
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