While I am not a Group of Five member, I have known of
Alfred since Brenda first met him in 2015. Over the years, I witnessed the effort
and perseverance it took on this end to complete the paperwork to move Alfred
and his family from the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi to a new life here in the
Okanagan. And for Alfred and Yvonne the
wait required resilience, and for Yvonne especially, saying goodbye to her
mother and siblings was hard. And beginning again in a new country is another
chapter entirely.
However beneficial the outcome will be - the path is not
easy.
I emigrated from the UK to New Zealand with my husband and
our four-year-old daughter, and five years later we immigrated again - this
time to Canada. Even moving between Commonwealth countries, speaking (more or
less) the same language, the transition was daunting. There are subtle
differences in laws, systems, expectations, humour, and unspoken social norms.
You miss your family and friends. You miss your routines. You miss being known. The first
year can feel especially fragile - you question your decisions and wonder
whether you were brave or foolish.
So I can only imagine how complex the transition must feel
for a family who has spent most - or all - of their lives in one refugee camp or
another. Canada offers extraordinary opportunity and safety, but it also asks
newcomers to navigate unfamiliar systems, climates, accents, assumptions, and
rhythms of life.
The Group of Five give friendship and guidance to Alfred and
his family, helping them understand how things work here - from banking and pre-school
to healthcare and winter boots - while ensuring they can maintain their own
culture, language, faith, and identity. Integration does not mean erasing who
you are. It means building a life where your history and your future can
coexist.
And that takes time.
A few months ago the family moved from Summerland to the nearby town of
Penticton where there are more amenities – including the invaluable organization
SOICS (South Okanagan Immigrant & Community Services) where Yvonne takes
English classes and meets with other newcomers. Alfred has a job in Penticton, and Praise is
attending Strong Start.
The first year lays the foundation, but belonging is built
over time. As Alfred and his family continue finding their footing, they do so
supported by a community that respects both where they come from and where they
are going.
We all wish the family well - and thank everyone who has given friendship and support to the family before and after they arrived in Canada.
(The Group of Five support team members are Brenda L, Peter S, Corrianne H, Angela M and Susan B. And Maureen B. gives counselling services Support also comes from G5 family members and friends – as well as the wider community.)
CLICK the REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP label to see all posts about the family sponsorship.
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