Eric

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My name is Eric. I came here to Calgary in 2014 to start a new life and with that I was able to find my wife here and got married. So I’m a new dad. My daughter turned two this year and I started pretty late in life building my family. I am blessed to be in this country and this is a paradise for me and my family.

IDENTITY. So what does being a father mean to me? It means to me like this photo, she is in a lake, which can be very scary for a young person. It is really teaching our children to be able to not just survive but to thrive in this scary world that we live in today and at the same time as you can see in the photo she is… her reflection is reflected there. So it is also our responsibility as a father to teach them their identity and who she is as a person and who she is in our side as our daughter.
THE VALUE OF HARDWORK. What helped and challenged me in being a dad is as you see here, we are gardening and my daughter is right there. I don’t know if you can see her she’s lying down by the stairs. I think the pain or the hard work that I’ve experienced in the past has challenged me and helped me to be a dad in the same way that we will also be teaching our daughter,  the value of hard work, the value of pain or challenges in life.

LETTING GO. Being a dad means we let go of our children. As they grow up, they’ll be more and more independent and there will come a time that you know, probably in Canada by the time they’re 18 or 21. They’ll either be on their own. So we only have like, let’s say 17, 20 years of influence with our children and it’s just preparing to let them go.
NOT JUST A PROVIDER. Does being a father change your view as a man? Definitely. I think it did not change but actually it gave more meaning to me as a man being a father, and that is to be able to take care of not just my daughter but also my wife and to be able to provide for them.

So it’s not just only being a provider, taking care of them, but making sure that we are living a happy life and at the same time having good relationships both with my wife and my daughter.
FAITH. So what in your life past present or future help you or challenge you in being a dad?
In this photo, if you can see. It says that I like to go to church or yeah. So I think faith helped me, and is helping me in all the challenges of being a father.

Akintomiwa

Being a Dad goes beyond being the sperm donor or a father. You need to be a lot of things rolled in one for your kid; a friend, brother, confidant, mentor, role model, teacher, drinking buddy (when your kid is old enough), coach (for those who play sports), etc. My Dad was and is still all these to me.

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Arturo

I’m a father of four adult children now. I have two grandkids too. For me, fatherhood is also a combination of fatherhood and motherhood. My wife helps me out in parenthood. We promote good healthy living to our children. So we enjoy walking together.

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Badri

Being a father means just transferring the genes to another generation. It also means transferring my value, belief, culture, and relationship style.

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Bomlal

Being a father holds many responsibilities. I try to be positive and spread love and care because my son looks up to me since I am his role model. I play many roles in my kids’ life. Being a father means that I am also a playmate, teacher, friend and confidant to my children.

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Deepak

Being a dad means something different, something unique… an ordinary common man, went to be a dad with a new kind of identity. So that was a really unique dimension of life.. I’m an advisor, I am a friend, I’m a guide and inspiration, motivation, so many things for my son.

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Eric

Being a dad means we let go of our children. As they grow up, they’ll be more and more independent and there will come a time that you know, probably in Canada by the time they’re 18 or 21. They’ll either be on their own. So we only have like, let’s say 17, 20 years of influence with our children and it’s just preparing to let them go.

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Erwin

I raised by a disciplinarian dad, resulting in a  not-so-good relationship with him growing up. I’ve decided that when time comes I’ll be a dad, I’ll be more approachable, more patient, and more understanding so I’ll develop a closer bond between me and my son.

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Krishna

If you can’t give your kids what they want today, tomorrow, you won’t have time to give them anything. The things that they want now will be meaningless to them tomorrow.

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Prem

While I was in Nepal, my role was different. After being here, my role is different. That’s why certainly, I am fulfilling much more responsibility than other common men. Being a father is a challenge. I had to cut up my aspirations, will and aspirations on behalf of my daughters.

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Robinson

Being a dad is like a road with a continuous journey. My love for my daughter and my family is everlasting whatever circumstances it may be. I enjoy every moment that I spent with my daughter even though we have misunderstandings s sometimes.

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Santosh

I feel very fortunate being a dad. I became very active and vibrant when I became a dad. It’s a very positive environment for me. We share stories and by doing that, we educate each other.

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About Fathers in Focus

Fathers in Focus is a project that opens space for men to reflect on their roles as men and fathers. This project encourages fathers to talk about their experiences and emotions, allowing them to make connections between their roles and aspirations to be nurturing fathers, their own well-being, and healthy relationships within the family. Photovoice is a powerful tool that uses photography to express and document events or experiences, offer insights, and invite others to see the world from someone else’s lenses. Participants gather around specific themes such as fatherhood or migration experiences (etc.), and after completing photovoice training, take their own photos and create brief narratives that are placed alongside their photos. Photovoice is shared within groups, across communities, and is also used for public awareness, advocacy, and social change.

In this project, 11 Canadian fathers from Filipino, Iranian, Latino, Nepali, Nigerian and Pakistani (Pashtun) heritage shared their photos and stories about their fathering experiences. Please join us in learning about the critical roles that immigrant fathers play in the lives of their children and families, and celebrate the diverse stories and perspectives shared by our photographers. 

Fathers in Focus emerged as a community project through dialogues by members of the Alberta Men’s Network for violence prevention. For many of the dads, the desire to be a ‘good dad’ was complicated, and challenged traditional views, upbringing and gender roles.  We hope that this project will engage other dads and their families, as well as practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in conversations and actions that promote nurturing fatherhood. 

Many thanks to our supporting organizations: Alberta Men’s Network; The University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work; the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women; Migrante Alberta; The University of the Fraser Valley, Faculty of Social Work; and the Nepali, Filipino, Latino and Pashtun communities. This project was made possible by funding from the O’Brien Institute for Public Health Catalyst Grant, and Calgary Arts Development.

Community Exhibition | Participant Resource Portal | Contact
If you have any questions or would like further information regarding this project please contact: Dr. Liza Lorenzetti. The University of Calgary Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board has approved this research study.