As we approach the festivities in the month of July, we would like to call upon our volunteers for support. Volunteers are needed for the following events:

• Eid al-Adha on Saturday, July 9;
• Stampede Breakfast on Saturday, July 9;
• Mehndi Night on Saturday, July 9;
• Imamat Day on Monday, July 11; and
• Khushiali dinner and celebrations on Saturday, July 16.

Duties include food and refreshment serving, food running, crowd control, parking, volunteer check-in, first aid, Jamatkhana tours, and more. Please contact your Jamatkhana Captain or email us to sign up today.

Multi-faith family members and volunteers of all ages are encouraged to participate.

We look forward to serving together as OneIV.

Starting Wednesday, June 29, funeral ceremonies will be held at South Jamatkhana due to ongoing maintenance at Headquarters Jamatkhana. Please check the iiCanada app for funeral details.

In November 2021, the Government of Canada committed itself to resettle 40,000 Afghan refugees. It is expected that a small number of Ismaili refugees will settle in Calgary.

In anticipation of this, we are looking to secure housing, donations, volunteers, and employment opportunities for the newcomers.

Housing - Rental Accomodations

There is an urgent need for short-term and long-term housing for newly arriving Afghan refugee families.  Rental needs range from legal basement suites, apartments and condos, townhouses, and houses with one, two, three or more bedrooms. Rental homes in all areas across Calgary required.  Please email us for more information or to advise of a property available for rent.

Volunteers - Newcomer Mentors

Future Ready Initiative (FRI) takes a holistic approach to supporting families and individuals through customized mentorship, coaching, and delivery of services.   The Settlement Pillar is a major initiative within FRI, that aims to support newcomers to the country in ensuring access to high-quality early childhood development, education, employment, housing, health and other social services. Newcomer Mentors will support families from the tasks of early settlement to achieving their future aspirations. To learn more about becoming a Newcomer Mentor visit the Opportunities to Serve site.

Donations

Donations for housing, seasonal clothing, computers, furniture, and such other items may be required on an as-needed basis.

• Information on the type of donation (i.e., clothing, furniture, food, electronics, etc.)
• Indicate if you are able to store the donation until it is needed 
• Provide information on the quality of donation (i.e., slightly used, new, etc.)

Employment

We are looking to identify employers able to offer employment on a full-time or part-time basis.  

If you are able to offer employment, please send an email. In this email please include:

• The name of the employer
• A brief description of the position being offered
• Identification of full-time or part-time employment
• Time frame of availability of the position
• If the position is filled, whether the employer can be contacted to discuss other potential employment opportunities

Please check back at this page regularly to learn of updates and how you can get involved.

We suggest that you follow official sources for Afghan settlement information, donations, and resources to avoid misrepresentation or disappointment.

Rajan Bhujel is a young, energetic food service supervisor who has been in the hospitality industry for over 10 years. He has been part of the Generations Calgary hospitality team cooking tasty meals since December 2019.

Rajan was born in the city of Kathmandu, Nepal near the beautiful Himalayas, and completed his schooling in the city. He is the eldest of three siblings and has a younger brother and a sister. Being the eldest, he soon learnt about the realities of life, got inspired by his hardworking parents, and decided to contribute financially within the family. Consequently, he started working at an early age in a hotel in Katmandu.

In 2013 Rajan received an exciting and life-changing job offer to work at the Dubai Marriott International Hotel. During his tenure at the Marriott, he got the opportunity to learn various styles of cooking including Oriental, East Asian, Middle Eastern and Italian.

Rajan’s career continued to flourish, and his amazing talent was noticed by Ramada Hotel in Calgary, who offered him a job and helped him migrate to Canada. Rajan kicked off this new opportunity by assisting the Ramada chefs in planning and cooking for various banquets and corporate events. Eventually, he made his way to Generations and has continued to impress the residents with the delicious meals he prepares on a daily basis.

The key to Rajan’s professional success lies in his optimistic perspective, hard work, and a can-do attitude. During his time at Generations, he has successfully learned to make some of the popular festive dishes which he prepares during the celebrations. He is thankful to the residents and family members who generously share their favorite recipes. He also seeks out common recipes from the.Ismaili website and “A Spicy Touch” recipe books. The food that he prepares is enjoyed by the residents, guests, and the entire staff in the community.

Rajan is happily married to his wife Salina and together they have a beautiful daughter Iska.

Meals at Generations

Most of the Ismaili residents grew up eating East African or Indian food so Rajan has had to quickly adapt his ways to provide fresh cultural cuisine that is nutritious, tasty, and healthy at the same time. Keeping in mind the different preferences of the residents, Rajan often customizes the menu to satisfy different tastebuds.

The residents get to choose between East African/Indian or Western food twice a day. He ensures that lunch is the heavier meal for residents and dinner is always a lighter fare. On a typical day, lunch comprises of chicken or beef or a vegetable curry and their dinner is often kadhi and kichri, or daal and rice. A few elders also prefer to have a traditional dinner of kichri with milk at night. During the day, residents are served snacks which often include batata wada, pakora, dhokra, banana bread and cookies.

Surprisingly, most of the residents prefer fish and chips and hamburgers for their meals, but these are served as treats on special days, as they are not a very healthy option for them. Apart from that, residents get a special treat of barazi and mandazi/mamri on most Saturdays and mishkaki during the summer months.

Rajan and his team have dedicated their time in providing good nutritious meals and often engaging the residents to get their feedback, listen to their ideas, and adopt new recipes.

All areas of the campus are available for residents to use for socializing and dining. Residents can also celebrate special occasions with their loved ones in the Community and Family dining spaces. To learn more about Generations, please visit Generations Calgary or email.

On May 7, 2017, Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Calgary for his Diamond Jubilee visit with the Jamats of Edmonton and the Prairies.  Revisit the memories of this joyous time.

Watch the Video

Mawlana Hazar Imam Departs Vancouver, arrives in Calgary - article on the.ismaili 

View the Prairies Mulaqat photo galleries 

Dear Volunteers,

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all volunteers in the Jamat, including our multi-faith family members, for their steadfast commitment to improving the quality of life of the Jamat and the greater community.  Volunteerism is deeply rooted in our community and every day our volunteers demonstrate their commitment to the ethics of generosity of time, spirit, resources, and kindness of heart for those in need.

Undoubtedly the past few years have challenged us all in unprecedented ways.  During this time, as with all other times, our volunteers supported the Jamat and community every day.  We are inspired by how our volunteers came together to overcome the challenges faced.  As we move forward, you continue to exemplify the theme of this year’s volunteer week “Empathy in Action”.  All of our volunteers selflessly work to lift the Jamat and community every day. 

Mawlana Hazar Imam reflected on the importance and benefits of volunteering when addressing both houses of Canadian Parliament in February 2014:

“This Canadian spirit resonates with a cherished principle in Shia Ismaili culture — the importance of contributing one’s individual energies on a voluntary basis to improving the lives of others.  This is not a matter of philanthropy, but rather of self-fulfillment — 'enlightened self-fulfillment.'”

The 13th century Sufi poet, Jalal ad-Din Rumi eloquently emphasizes this same value of volunteering:

“If you become a helper of hearts, springs of wisdom will flow from your heart.”

All of our volunteers, numbering in the tens of thousands across Canada, generously commit their hearts and energies to our communities.  During National Volunteer Week we are pleased to celebrate the effort and dedication of all volunteers, from all ages and backgrounds, and pray that this service brings you and your families happiness, barakah, and enlightened self-fulfillment.  You keep us strong, united, and ready to face the challenges of the future. 

Onn behalf of all of the leadership of the Prairies Jamat, thank you for all that you do for the Jamat and the community every day.  Happy Volunteer Week!

With gratitude,

Fauzia Lalani-Khudabux, President, Council for the Prairies

On behalf of all Jamati Institutions and Jamati Mukhis, Kamadias, Mukhianis, and Kamadianis

In Canada, up to 15 billion plastic bags are used every year.  Single use plastics make up most of the plastic litter that is found in the environment.  There are many suitable uses for plastics, but where we are able to reduce their use, we should try to do so in order to protect our environment for future generations.  Where it is safe for the Jamat’s health we continue to take steps towards waste reduction in Jamatkhanas.  We have transitioned to recyclable chai cups, and now make use of compostable bags that can be reused or disposed of in green compost bins at home.  Starting May 6, a small charge will apply to these bags.  We encourage you to consider reducing use of bags in Jamatkhana putting several items in one bag or not using a bag at all.  You can also bring reusable bags from home for your personal use and take them with you when you depart.  Thank you for your support as we work towards further waste reduction in our Jamatkhanas.

“For our faith constantly reminds us … as good stewards of God’s creation, to leave the world in a better condition than we found it.”

– Mawlana Hazar Imam, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Ottawa, November 27, 2013