Kelowna residents were quick to welcome the Syrian refugees accepted into Canada in the early months of 2016.
Following through with an election promise, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government opened the borders to 25,000 refugees and 100-plus of those men, women and children were calling the Central Okanagan home by February.
Some families were government sponsored, while others were part of a smaller, more personalized model. Regardless, their arrival has challenged, changed and ultimately rewarded this community.
One of the families first to arrive in Kelowna were the Shahouds, from Homse, Syria.
The Central Okanagan Refugee Committee sponsored Mohammed, Sara and the youngest five of their 11 children to come from Jordan, where they were seeking safety.
One of their older children, along with their own family, has since arrived in Canada.
In Syria, the family owned a business and had a large house. All was lost after their escape.
Now life is much smaller, albeit safer. Mohammed had a part-time job when he first arrived in Kelowna, but that ended and he香蕉视频直播檚 now taking some programming that will help him be more employable in the future.
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Sara, his wife, offered a similar view of their experiences in Kelowna.
香蕉视频直播淢ost people have been very nice,香蕉视频直播� she said, using the services of translator, Ehab Ghanem.
香蕉视频直播淓specially the sponsor families香蕉视频直播e can see this being our home (for the longer run), if this is God香蕉视频直播檚 will.香蕉视频直播�
Hearing people who have suffered inconceivable indignities in just the last few years express thanks to the community that welcomed them wasn't new to translator, Ghanem. He is Egyptian and one of a handful of Arabic speaking residents of the Okanagan who volunteer to translate for the Syrians who were moving to the valley.
香蕉视频直播淎t first they are afraid of the past and afraid of the future,香蕉视频直播� Ghanem said. The war killed more than 250,000 people across Syria and forced at least 10 million to flee.
What he found surprising was the perception Syrians held of their new country,
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香蕉视频直播淭hey are shocked that people here are good by themselves and don香蕉视频直播檛 need to be ordered to do something. It makes these guys want to return the favour, but they don香蕉视频直播檛 know how yet.香蕉视频直播�
