New Canadians struggle to keep sending money to family overseas as inflation soars

With inflation hitting its highest point in decades, some Canadians with families overseas say it's getting tougher to support their loved ones. 

Kidist Demessie, who lives in Winnipeg, tries to send money to her mom and relatives in Ethiopia every month. She used to send around $300, but with her own living costs climbing, she's had to scale it back to $200. 

Some months, she's unable to send any money, she said. 

"I've been skipping and then … I don't feel even good calling after that, because you feel, you know, you're not doing your responsibility," said Demessie. 

The support worker says her wage has remained the same for seven years — a challenge as inflation drives costs higher. Canada's inflation rate for June was 8.1 per cent compared to a year earlier — the fastest annual increase since 1983, according to Statistics Canada data released this week.

To meet her expenses, Demessie has taken a second job. 

"I work six hours in the morning, eight hours in the evening," she said. "I don't party, I don't drink, I don't smoke … but then you find yourself struggling just to buy groceries and to pay [the] mortgage."

Trying to cover living costs has been incredibly stressful, she said, and since taking on her second job, she's been unable to spend quality time with her child. 

"It's shocking — what else should you do? Like, what else? You work two jobs and you're still broke."

Demessie says it's hard to explain to relatives in Ethiopia how much she's struggling to make ends meet. 

"A lot of people look up to you because you are in a … developed country. So they really think you could help," she said. "They think it's a joke when we say life is so expensive." 

She says even though she's struggling, she feels obliged to send money to her family in Ethiopia.

"Some of our community back home, they wait for the money just to survive."

Perla Javate, president of the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba, says it's also common for Filipino newcomers in Canada to send money back home to their families.