Hadia Samim (she/her) is a first generation Afghan-Canadian passionate about community development and dedicated to serving disadvantaged populations particularly refugees, women and youth.

Hadia has extensive experience working in both the public & private sectors with focus on managing initiatives encompassing public affairs, development, impact, and settlement. She has worked with international organizations such as the UNHCR and UNICEF to coordinate complex emergency relief efforts in conflict zones. Additionally, she has been involved in various Canadian Federal initiatives to assist with governmental efforts in facilitating the arrival of immigrants, providing protection to refugees, and establishing settlement programs for newcomers in Canada.

More recently, Hadia has been working with the World Bank Group to represent Canadian youth and make policy recommendations for development challenges. She currently works for a leading Tech company managing partnerships and ventures encompassing areas of Environment, Social and Governance.

Through her non-profit organization, BC4Afghans Community Services, Hadia and her team supports the settlement and integration of refugees in BC. To date, BC4Afghans have supported over 800 refugees.

Hadia holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Global Health & Policy from SFU specializing in social inequities and policy.

Hadia is thrilled to be part of the CHYA and hopes to use her platform to promote civic engagement and political participation of youth.