Solomon Okhifoh is a Support Worker and has been with Care for two and a half years. He is married with two teenaged sons and is originally from West Africa.
“I fondly tell people that I am from heaven originally, but when it was time for an excursion to planet earth, I started out from Nigeria in West Africa. I then proceeded to the United States and now I am in Canada. This may be my last stop before returning to heaven.”
He applied for a Support Worker position because he enjoys “working with people who cannot help themselves. I believe someone needs to be around to make them comfortable and feel valued.” He says he enjoys what he does, “it is very rewarding and exciting. No two days are ever the same. You are forced to come up with innovative ways to get value for the Individuals we support.”
Some days are more challenging than others but Solomon always looks for the positive in every situation. “Everything that has a beginning must have an end. This situation is bound to expire very soon.”
“It takes someone great to acquire the vision to help a population that is often overlooked by many and the strides that the organization has made over the years. It is profound.”
Solomon is very active when not supporting Individuals. Along with a second job he “is also a full-time student. I am involved in various committees in the City (of Grande Prairie) and I also do radio and TV ministry.”
An interesting fact about Solomon is that he was an actor in the CBC series “Republic of Doyle”. “I was a cop on that show. I am a songwriter and I play the bass guitar and drums. Me and my family hope to come out with a gospel CD within the next few years.”
What do most people not know about you that you would like them to know?
“Though an engineer, a project manager now, my love for people always draws me to work with the community in more practical ways. I love advocacy and I often find myself doing just that irrespective of where I am. I hate oppression with everything in me and will fight with the last drop of blood to overcome it. To most people, I am a very quiet and gentle individual, but I count myself as a gentle lion who can suddenly get aroused at the sight of injustice. Incidentally, I graduated from a university, whose emblem is a lion and graduates are referred to ourselves as lions and lionesses. Our motto is “To Restore the Dignity of Man”. I am all for restoring people to their full potential and dignity. Oh! Did I mention that I am also a motivational speaker?”
“Beside a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, I have a Master’s Degree in Technology Management, and I am in the last phase of completing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.”
“I decided to take a Public Administration program because I identified deficiencies in the way our City has been managed by both administration and council. This year, I am running to be elected as a member of the City of Grande Prairie council. I believe that the City needs to move ahead and make this a better place for future generations. I am running on the pillars of an affordable, safe, strong, and integrated community. We need to solve the problem of high cost of housing, which leaves no option but homelessness to many of our fellow citizens. Grande Prairie has been on the list of most dangerous cities in Canada for too long and I want to work with all stakeholders to move us out of that list, and make the City safer by combating drug trafficking and other social vices that have given us a soured reputation. I want to create an environment for cultural exchanges and to harness the potential that immigrants bring to Canada and to our beloved city.”
If you would like more information on Solomon’s run in the municipal election you can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and coming soon www.solomonis.ca. He is also looking for campaign volunteers this summer.
Thank you Solomon for all you do at Care and in the community of Grande Prairie!