Staff
Francisco Rico-Martínez (1958-2021)
Late Founder and Co-Director
Our beloved Co-Director Francisco Rico-Martínez passed away on August 13, 2021. He was a pacifist revolutionary who was a trained lawyer in El Salvador and had a Master’s in Economy from Costa Rica. He was forced to leave his beloved country in 1990 due to his work as a defender of Human Rights during the El Salvadorian Civil war. Francisco came to Canada with his pregnant wife and two children as refugees. As he established himself and his family in Canada, he became painfully aware of the plight of migrants in Canada. With great pride and with the help of the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ), as well as his adoring wife, they founded what is now known as the FCJ Refugee Centre almost 30 years ago. This gained him many accolades including being the first refugee to be President of the Canadian Council for Refugees, a recipient of the YMCA Peace Medallion and the William P. Hubbard Race Relations award. As a committed husband, loving father, and joyous grandfather, Francisco lived to better the lives of everyone he would encounter, specifically those who were marginalized. Francisco was steadfast in the face of injustice making sure that all who could hear him would be aware. An advocate for a just and fair immigration system, he would educate anyone who would hear him on the rights and the plight of migrants, not just in Canada but around the world. Francisco leaves a Legacy of love and hope.
Loly Rico
Founder
lolyrico@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 224
Formally trained as a physiotherapist, Loly started working with Down Syndrome children in El Salvador, becoming aware of how their human rights were abused, and how the tremendous needs of these children were not addressed by the government. Later on, she became more deeply involved in social justice in El Salvador. Upon arrival in Canada, through her own experience as a refugee she became acutely aware of the situation of refugees in this part of the world. In 1991, together with her husband, Francisco, and the support of the FCJ Sisters, Loly helped establish FCJ Hamilton House Refugee Project – co-leading what became FCJ Refugee Centre, and serving as the Centre’s Executive Director when Francisco passed away in 2021. Loly has a deep understanding of what is involved in setting up a safe environment for a vulnerable group, one that invites them to rebuild a sense of self, and gives them tools to regain lost confidence. In 2004, the City of Toronto awarded her the Constance E. Hamilton Award, for her unflinching commitment and contribution to women’s rights and social justice. In 2022, she was one of the recipients of the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards, in the category of Refugee Rights. She has also received the YMCA Peace Medallion.
Directors
Diana Gallego
Co-Executive Director
dianagallego@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 225
Diana Gallego is a Colombian-trained lawyer, with experience in advocacy, human rights and social justice. In 2002, Diana was forced to flee Colombia with her husband and son. This experience shaped a new commitment and led her into working with immigrants and refugees. Diana graduated in Community Work from George Brown College in Toronto, where she is currently a part time professor in the Centre for Community Services. She joined the FCJ Refugee Centre in 2015. In 2023 she was elected president of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR). Within the CCR, she also serves on the Inland Protection steering committees, where the social and economic integration of refugees and family reunification are two of the main focuses of her advocacy. Diana has been part of the Canadian Council for Refugees for the last 17 years and is the first Amina Malko Fund recipient to become CCR President.
Tsering Lhamo
Co-Executive Director
tseringl@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 229
Tsering came to Canada in the early 2000s as a refugee claimant. She joined the FCJ Refugee Centre in 2017 as a student placement while pursuing her diploma in Social Service Worker from Seneca College. Tsering’s work with migrants of precarious status is deeply intertwined with her personal narrative as a third-generation Tibetan stateless refugee. Tsering is currently Co-Chair of the Housing Network in the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR).
Carolina Teves
Senior Director
cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 240
Carolina earned two bachelor’s degrees from Universidad Centro Americana José Simeon Cañas (San Salvador), in Education and Journalism. She worked as a teacher of literature in high school and, after completing her degree in Journalism, Carolina committed herself to a career in that field. She began working as a journalist with the university radio station YSUCA, focusing on human rights. She worked at the radio station for over ten years, and in 1999 she also took on a teaching position at Universidad Centro Americana to teach radio production: writing, editing, etc. In the fall of 2001, Carolina came as a refugee to Canada from El Salvador with her husband and three children. In 2003, she started her career at FCJ Refugee Centre, first as a volunteer, next as the receptionist, after that as Communication and Public Education Coordinator, and then as the Associate Director in Communication and Access to Education, before becoming Senior Director.
Managers
Edgar Valderrama Medina
Immigration and Refugee Protection
edgar.v.medina@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 223
Jovana Blagovcanin
Anti-Human Trafficking
jovanab@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 242
Alexandra García Hidalgo
Intake and Human Resources
info@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 238
Kanishka Basnayake
Finance and Operations
kanishkab@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 241
Coordinators
Cagla Azizoglu
Resource Development
cagla@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 228
Laura Friesen
Immigration and Refugee Protection
laura.f@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 246
Jacobo Matta
Case Management
jacobom@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 257
Diana Caipa
Anti-Human Trafficking – Migrant Case
dianac@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 255
Chiara Andrea Rossi
Anti-Human Trafficking – Women
chiarar@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 222
Tenzin Khentse
Anti-Human Trafficking – Youth
tenzink@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 244
Stefan Enrique Joseph Kallikaden
Youth and Access to Education
stefanjk@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 248
Jacqueline Cortés
Refugee and Housing
jacquelinec@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 235
Belén Mosqueda
Refugee and Housing
belenm@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 233
Luisa Moncada
Women’s and Transitional Housing
luisam@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 232
Elisa Ibarra Juárez
Primary Care Clinic
eli.ibarra@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 230
Kelly Arévalo
Food Security
kellya@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 231
Miguel Máiquez
Web Editor and Communication
miguelmaiquez@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 263
Workers
Natalia Mercado
Anti-Human Trafficking – Youth
nataliam@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 227
Joy Arumala
Refugee and Housing Support
joya@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 256
Judith Clavijo
Refugee and Housing Support
judithc@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 236
Emma Coulter
Refugee and Housing Support
emma.coulter@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 234
Paulina Zúñiga
Refugee and Housing Support
paulinaz@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 237
Eman Mohamed
Refugee and Housing Support
emanm@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 469 9754 ext 269
Cinthya Coronado
Refugee and Housing Support
cinthyac@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 267
Liz Mwangi
Refugee and Housing Support
lizm@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 268
Selvajayan Vijayarangan
Refugee and Housing Support
selvajayanv@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 266
Alyaa Osman
Communication and Public Education
alyaao@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 263
Viktor Stembrock
Resources Development Assistant
viktors@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 259
Alma Ulob
Bookkeeper
almadsulob@fcjrefugeecentre.org
Melina Castro Caroprezo
ELL Program
esl@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 247
Rojin Zeytinoglu
ELL Support
rojinz@fcjrefugeecentre.org
esl@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 247
Diana Sánchez
Database Support
Alexandra Crespo
Receptionist
Joshua Eisen
In-House Lawyer
joshuae@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 261
Tracy Muriithi, Centre for Refugee Children
Project Coordinator – A Roadmap to Justice
tracym@fcjrefugeecentre.org
416 4699754 ext 258
FCJ
Sr. Lois Anne Bordowitz
loisannefcj@fcjrefugeecentre.org
Sr. Lois Anne Bordowitz is a member of the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus, a small international congregation (www.fcjsisters.org). She has had a variety of assignments in her life, including teaching, missionary in Sierra Leone for 10 years, social justice ministry including work with refugees in Calgary and in Toronto. In Sierra Leone, Lois Anne was a facilitator for a development education program used extensively in Africa. Sr. Lois Anne joined the FCJ Refugee Centre in 1996, working with Francisco in organizing workshops, producing manuals, updating website, etc. She volunteers at FCJ Refugee Centre in the office and one day a week at the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre.