Who We Are
Merchant Foundation is a Canadian non-profit organization operating in Canada that aims to provide a platform for the Malayali Muslim community in Canada to socialize and integrate with the new cultural reality. Since 2007, we have been helping new immigrant families to find their new home in this beautiful country and also providing them with all support needed to succeed. We follow an egalitarian organization structure, relying more on the collaborative spirit of our volunteers. Our passionate team has facilitated several socio-cultural events to instill togetherness in the community and have also been involved in quite a few charity activities in Canada and back in India. One of the events that Merchant Bhai used to organize for the newcomers was the Family Forum, an informal gathering to network and socialize for our community.
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Started with a Family Forum then, has expanded today to Eid Carnivals, Community Iftars, Inter-community sporting events, women empowerment programs, immigration programs, volunteering work etc provides opportunities to make meaningful connections and build long-lasting relationships. We consider this organization to be our extended family, and we are happy to help our brothers and sisters to let go of that feeling of alienation that most of the new immigrants encounter. With more and more Keralites calling Canada their new home, Merchant Foundation is becoming more relevant than ever by being the vibrant face of our multi-cultural heritage in Canada.
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Since 2007, we have been helping new immigrant families to find their new home in this beautiful country and also providing them with all support needed to succeed.
Our Mission
"To help Malayali Muslims to integrate, actively engage and succeed as new Canadians"
Our Legacy
While there are no official records documenting the initial migration of Malayali Muslims to Canada, it is possible that a small group arrived in the early 1970s. The arrival of a new wave of our community members in Canada, predominantly through the Middle East, occurred in the mid-1990s, contributing to the expansion of our community.
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Despite Canadians extending a warm welcome to new arrivals, the process of settlement proved to be a challenging and stressful task. In the early days of the internet, when the term "social media" hadn't yet been coined, newcomers often grappled with the challenge of forming social connections in their new home.
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Mohammed Merchant, affectionately known as Merchant Bhai, took on a crucial volunteer role in assisting new immigrants arriving in Canada. Almost single-handedly, he offered a range of services to ease their settlement, guiding them through necessary processes and providing support whenever they had questions.
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Following Merchant Bhai's passing in 2006, his selfless deeds serve as an inspiration for us to uphold his legacy through the establishment of the Merchant Foundation since 2007.