From Venezuela to Canada: Baker Reinaldo rises to the occasion

Pictured: Baker and Venezuelan refugee, Reinaldo, is living displaced with his family in Peru. But he now has the opportunity to migrate to Canada for work.

Reinaldo is from Venezuela. He studied at the Universidad Central de Venezuela and graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering - but his real passion was for baking, and in 2013 he established a small bakery in his hometown. 

Over the next three years Reinaldo’s business grew, and he had plans to expand - but by 2016, civil unrest in Venezuela had made life very difficult for Reinaldo and his young family. There were protests and looting due to high levels of criminal violence, inflation, and chronic scarcity of basic goods.

“In 2016  my country began to experience an economical, political, and particularly food crisis” explains Reinaldo. “It was very difficult for me to find the necessary ingredients to work and to feed my family. As a consequence I had to stop the operations of my business, sell all my stuff, and leave my country. I hoped to find a good place to start a new life”

Living displaced in Peru

Reinaldo and his family found their way to Peru, where Reinaldo found work as a waiter and, later, as a head baker in someone else’s business. Inevitably, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish his own bakery, and today he rents space in the city of Cusco where he produces his baked goods and delivers them to customers. 

Despite his success as a baker, Reinaldo and his family have struggled to find stability in Peru. As refugees, they cannot access permanent immigration status, which would come with a job permit, access to essential services, and a stable income necessary for normal life. 

Reinaldo was looking for a solution to his family’s displacement - and he was first introduced to the concept of refugee labour mobility at an information session organized by TBB partner, HIAS.  

Immediately, Reinaldo registered himself on the Talent Catalog. “The process of registering was very simple” he says “you just have to follow the instructions and fill the form to create a professional profile”.

A life-changing job offer

As an accomplished baker with 11 years of experience, Reinaldo’s profile soon caught the attention of employers internationally, and before he knew it he was interviewing for a role at a bakery in Canada. “The manager and the owner were very respectful and kind to me during the whole interview process” says Reinaldo.

“Then one day I was preparing to go out to work, and before I left my house I checked my email. When I saw the email from the manager of the bakery my heart started to beat so fast!”

“I opened the message and saw the job contract attached. At that moment I felt very joyful and blessed. I ran to where my wife was and told her the great news. We hugged and jumped for joy like children. It was a great day”.

Canada: “Country of opportunities”

Reainaldo and his family have applied for Canadian visas through the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) program - Canada’s ground-breaking initiative to welcome displaced talent through existing economic immigration streams.

“That was the best part” says Reinaldo “because I thought I will just get a work visa - but through the EMPP I have the opportunity to get permanent residency [and a pathway to citizenship] for me and my family. That means we won’t be rolling from country to country looking for stability. And best of all, I know we will be well-received in this great country of opportunities called Canada”.

Advice for other displaced job seekers

“To people who are in the same situation as me living displaced, trust in yourself, in your capacity, and particularly in TBB and HIAS” says Reinaldo. “These organizations are the key to making our dreams real and beginning a new life, far away from all the conflicts we had to live with in the past. They gave my family all the tools we needed to get stability in our lives; emotional, economical, and social - especially for our children”.

As Reinaldo and his family prepare for this new chapter, we celebrate their courage and determination. Reinaldo’s story serves as an inspiration to all. We are excited to see the impact he will make in his new role and the contributions he will bring to his new community.