Partnership Research Activities
Despite the rising number of Sub-Saharan African Immigrants (SSAIs) in Canada, there is a dearth of studies concentrating on their experiences. PRAN was created to fill this void by conducting research on the hurdles faced by SSAI newcomers and the way they exhibit resilience and thrive despite numerous barriers and challenges.
As a multi-faceted project, PRAN relies on multiple meaningful collaborations and partnerships to accomplish its objectives. Our research partners focus on a diverse range of areas, including hurdles faced by SSAI newcomers in Canada, gendered experiences of immigration, entrepreneurial experiences of SSAI immigrants, systematic and everyday racism, and recording how SSAIs exercise their agency and resilience in foreign lands. PRAN is undertaking three core research activities and a variety of partner-driven research initiatives.
Core Research
Explore our Research activities below
PRAN members have collaboratively developed a comprehensive cross-sectional survey executed in partnership with a private survey firm. This collaborative effort involved the participation of lead researchers from PRAN, as well as dedicated Research Assistants.
Spanning across four Canadian cities—Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, and the Greater Toronto Area, the survey’s primary focus was capturing the experiences of SSAI newcomers. It seeks to shed light on their resilience while navigating unfamiliar environments, grappling with systemic racism, and confronting instances of everyday discrimination. Findings from the cross-sectional survey is being used to inform the next research activities in the project. For information additional information, please see our participant’s page. Reports from this activity will be uploaded as soon as they become available. For now, visit our Publications page and view our “Snapshot” research briefs that provide key demographic information from the survey based on each of the four cities. The survey design was led by Dr. Zoua Vang, Dr. Joseph Mensah, Dr. Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika, and members of the Advisory Committee of Experts. Survey analysis oversight is led by Dr. Jonathan Amoyaw, supported by PRAN data analyst Elizabeth Katana Babirye and Senior Research Manager Heidi Hoernig.
Institutions play a significant role in the lives of SSAI newcomers, who are often victimized by systematic forms of racism through biased policies and procedures. Recognizing this critical institutional impact, PRAN is conducting Community Institutional Scans by interviewing key workers and community partners to conduct an in-depth study of selected organizations to determine gaps in services, available resources, and strategies. The purpose of this project is to enhance the capacity of community-based organizations that often lack the resources available to larger, mainstream organizations. Data collection for this project officially began in Fall 2025 across all four cities (Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, and Toronto). For more information, see PRAN’s CIS page for participants.
A new data project launched by the PRAN team and led by Dr. Jonathan Amoyaw (Dalhousie University) and Dr. Joseph Mensah (York University) through the Canadian Research Data Centre Network. Dubbed the Sub-Saharan African Immigrants and Refugees Demographic and Economic Profiles and Trajectories Project (SSAI-DEPT), this project will develop and analyze data on Sub-Saharan African Immigrants and Refugees (SSAI) from the Longitudinal Immigration Database (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Statistics Canada). Results will support PRAN partners and team members, offer an interesting point of comparison with existing SSAI census data, and supplement the analysis and interpretation of PRAN and PRAN partner research results.