When the world asks about how to help Syrian refugees find their footing in countries, they may find the answer in West Kelowna.
香蕉视频直播淲e were approached by a former journalist who does a lot of work for the UN. The UN High Commission for Refugees had contacted her and asked if she could track down a Canadian group that was privately sponsoring a Syrian family,香蕉视频直播� said Gioia Morris, a representative for the West Kelowna Initiative for Refugee Settlement.
Morris learned a little more about what was needed, and then the camera crews rolled in and started filming Mohammed Al Breij, his wife Sahar, and their four children, ages two to 10, as they started to adapt to Canadian life with the help of the five families who sponsored them with partial help from the Canadian government.
Of the 26,000 Syrian refugees who have made it to Canada in recent months, only 6,000 have used this model.
The three-minute film was played at a meeting dealing with global responsibility sharing through pathways for admission of Syrian refugees, which was hosted March 30 by the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
The film shows the families talking about what the support of their sponsor families has meant to them.
They fled Syria five years ago to live in a refugee camp in Lebanon, where they lived in a shack with a dirt floor.
There was no school for the children, no opportunity to learn English or prepare for what was to come, which made the welcome they received all the more welcome.
香蕉视频直播淭hey help with everything, we don香蕉视频直播檛 feel like we are alone doing this. We are one complete family,香蕉视频直播� Sahar said, with the help of a translator.
香蕉视频直播淚n Canada, I see a bright and better life for me and my children and my husband. My children will be going to school. My husband will have a better future and get a good job.香蕉视频直播�
Morris said it was an honour to be featured, as the film also highlighted how much work the West Kelowna families have done to make the sponsorship work.
香蕉视频直播淲e finally did find a rental house for them and that香蕉视频直播檚 been a relief,香蕉视频直播� she said, adding that it香蕉视频直播檚 slim pickings for housing that is both ideal for a family that size and affordable, once they take rent payments out of the sponsors hands.
香蕉视频直播淚t will be really, really good because that means they will be really settled. It has a bit of a backyard and Mohammed is looking forward to working on it.香蕉视频直播�
The children, said Morris, are doing well at school. She said one member of the sponsorship group has gone above and beyond teaching the whole family English.
The participation from all the sponsors has been tremendous, said Morris.
It香蕉视频直播檚 why she believes the model they chose to help is the best.
It香蕉视频直播檚 also an intense commitment, and the group has yet to decide whether they would be willing to sponsor another family or just do something to support the government sponsored families that are already here.
香蕉视频直播淲e are all people who have busy lives and it香蕉视频直播檚 a lot,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淲e love what we香蕉视频直播檙e doing and it香蕉视频直播檚 so rewarding, and we would do it again and again and again, but it is a big commitment.香蕉视频直播�
The sponsors meet once a month to assess what香蕉视频直播檚 needed, as Morris said the biggest concern they have at the moment is creating a lifestyle the family will be able to sustain down the road.
They have four of six months government funding yet to come in, but the sponsor commitment end-date is still up in the air.
香蕉视频直播淭he goal is to get them self-sufficient within a year香蕉视频直播ompletely self-sufficient. Whether it will happen, I don香蕉视频直播檛 know how likely that is,香蕉视频直播� said Morris.
香蕉视频直播淲e have accomplished a tremendous amount of stuff in a reasonable time.
香蕉视频直播淲e do have a strict budget, we want to make them learn to live on a budget that香蕉视频直播檚 based on someone living full-time on minimum wage.香蕉视频直播�
That, she said, is difficult.
香蕉视频直播淲e love them like they香蕉视频直播檙e family and we want to give them whatever, but we have to remind ourselves that there are boundaries, and we need to be as professional as we can,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淚n the long run, they need to be as self-sufficient as possible.香蕉视频直播�
One example of that balance was the realization that the couple香蕉视频直播檚 childcare needs would be pricey.
Mohammed and Sahar were accepted into the same ESL class, which required a lot of daycare.
香蕉视频直播淲e covered it, but our budget is only so big,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淲e realized we don香蕉视频直播檛 want to do fundraising to have daycare paid for.
香蕉视频直播淭here are all these things you don香蕉视频直播檛 anticipate, and we香蕉视频直播檝e made some mistakes, and said, 香蕉视频直播楲et香蕉视频直播檚 do it香蕉视频直播� about some things and then afterwards realized, 香蕉视频直播楾hat wasn香蕉视频直播檛 that smart.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
In the end, daycare only lasted three weeks. The boys struggled because it was too much too soon without English, so Sahar decided she香蕉视频直播檇 stay home during the afternoon.
Luckily, a spot in the morning class opened up.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no manual, saying, OK here is how you do this,香蕉视频直播� said Morris.
香蕉视频直播淲e had a few pages of advice on how to handle it, but there are so many ways people are doing this and it香蕉视频直播檚 dependent on what the (Syrian) family is like.香蕉视频直播�
In the end, however, Morris believes that the model they香蕉视频直播檝e chosen is the best.
香蕉视频直播淭hey are going to integrate faster, and they香蕉视频直播檙e going to be more positive about being in Canada and contributing to the community,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淭hey had a support group who loved them immediately. That香蕉视频直播檚 why we were excited to promote this model. It香蕉视频直播檚 a no- brainer.香蕉视频直播�
The video van be found at http://tracks.unhcr.org/2016/04/the-kindness-of-strangers/.
