Odai Obaid
Political Consultant + Signatory Delegate
Email:
Political Riding
All of Canada/Nationwide
Resumed Office: 2024
A Bit About Me
I am a proud Syrian-Canadian who recently became a Canadian citizen after seeking refuge in Canada.
As a gay Syrian refugee, I have navigated challenging personal and professional experiences, using them as fuel for advocacy and support for others facing similar challenges. Before coming to Canada, I was actively involved with LGBTQ+ NGOs in Lebanon and Turkey, advocating for the rights and well-being of marginalized LGBTQ+ individuals in challenging environments. My dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusion is reflected in all my work, as I continue to promote safer, more inclusive spaces for both LGBTQ+ and racial minorities.
Work Experience
05/2024 - Present
London Health Sciences Centre, Aide
● Support outpatient units at LHSC, including endoscopy, interventional radiology, chemotherapy, Pediatric Medical Day Unit, cath lab, and EP lab
● Efficiently stock medical supplies and equipment, maintaining proper inventory levels in fast-paced environments
● Install, set up, and maintain endoscopic scopes, ensuring equipment readiness and proper sterilization before and after procedures
● Assist with room turnovers between medical procedures, performing thorough cleaning and disinfection to meet hospital standards
● Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to streamline workflow, enhancing patient care and procedural efficiency
● Adapt quickly to different medical units, understanding unique protocols and assisting healthcare professionals as needed to enhance workflow of the units
11/2021 – 07/2022
YMCA, Digital Navigator
● Troubleshooted technical issues with devices (computers, cell phones) for students at the YMCA
● Assisted students with accessing online ESL classes ● Promoted online safety (anti-fraud and scam) to newcomers to Canada ● Conducted online sessions to newcomers about technology (i.e., how to make Gmail and Indeed accounts)
● Experience using Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, Word, and Teams
● Experience doing data entry on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website
● Worked independently and as team with other digital navigators throughout Ontario to provide these services to students and newcomers
11/2018 – 11/2019
Goodlife Fitness, Personal Trainer
● Provided exceptional client service through detailed and personalized program planning, achieving client’s physical goals, while being the source of their motivation and assistance in overcoming mental, emotional, and physical obstacles.
● Developed my own Personal Training Client Base using the skill of conversation and great customer service to earn every sale.
● Maintained phenomenal program planning to earn renewals of current clients.
● Selected to create and run a Group Boot Camp Program for the Goodlife Downtown location.
03/2017 – 09/2017
02/2014 – 09/2014
03/2017 – 09/2017
SPOD LGBTQ Organization (Istanbul, Turkey)
PROUD Organization (Beirut, Lebanon) HIV and Hepatitis C Testing Medical Assistant
● Assisted with the medical testing for gay male refugees involving knowledge of needles and blood work.
● Provided mental and emotional support prior to and post testing.
● Counselled clients on sexual health and distributed information.
SPOD LGBTQ Organization (Istanbul, Turkey) English Teacher
● Taught English to adult Syrian refugees who were on their journey abroad for resettlement.
● Used teaching material from a well-planned syllabus created by the organization.
● Advised fellow refugees on adapting to various social environments and cultures.
01/2015 – 08/2015
02/2014 – 09/2014
05/2013 – 08/2013
American Culture Centre (Istanbul, Turkey) English Teacher
● Taught English to children under the age of fourteen.
● Selected and developed discussion topics to promote good conversational skills at a young age.
PROUD LGBTQ Organization (Beirut, Lebanon) English Teacher
● Taught beginner/beginner-intermediate levels of English to LGBTQ Syrian/Iraqi refugees.
● Developed personalized lesson plans based on the students’ individual needs using a client-centred approach.
Private English Tutor (Moscow, Russia) ● Taught English to students in private homes. ● Advertised by word of mouth and taught according to a syllabus borrowed from a set of public library English lesson books.
04/2009 – 12/2009
“Musica” School of Music (Damascus, Syria) Solfege Instructor
● Taught music theory to students of various ages.
Volunteer Experience
09/2020 – 11/2021
09/2020 – Present
Cross Cultural Learner Centre (CCLC)
● Social media development (Taught refugees how to create LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, and how to use Excel, PowerPoint and Word). ● Connected newcomers to community resources, such as the food bank, YMCA, and family doctors
● Provided Arabic translating services between newcomers and agencies
● Led a group of LGBTQ newcomers in weekly activities to become integrated into the London community.
London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership (LMLIP)
● Create topics on health and wellbeing to make fact sheets on.
● Do research on these topics and provide it to the Project Assistant at LMLIP.
● Attend monthly meetings on anti-racism and health and wellbeing.
09/2020 – 03/2021
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
● Was a 24/7 Support Line Volunteer.
● Answered calls from individuals in mental health distress.
● Provided these individuals with community mental health resources and other community resources, such as ANOVA.
● Applied crisis interventions, such as calling Emergency Services for individuals who were actively suicidal.
LANGUAGES
●English (spoken and written)
● Arabic (spoken and written)
● Russian (spoken and written)
● Turkish (written)
EDUCATION 05/2021 – 04/2022 Fanshawe College Settlement Worker Program
09/2005 – 06/2009 Asiya Christian Orthodox High School Diploma (Damascus, Syria)
