Gifts make kids fleeing war ‘so happy’
Syrian family says they have a lot to be thankful for here in Canada
Muna Alasfoor and Mohamad Almobayed feel they still have much to learn after coming to Canada as Syrian refugees nearly two years ago.
The couple arrived here from Syria via Jordan in February 2016, having fled Damascus, Syria’s capital city, where violence and conflict have been a constant threat for years.
They settled in Scarborough, where they are raising four kids, and taking English classes every weekday.
“The most important goal is to reach the level of English where they can speak fluently,” said Rana Ammar, a settlement worker at the Mennonite New Life Centre, an organization in Scarborough that helps newcomers like Muna and Mohamad resettle in Canada and learn English.
“There is nothing in common” between Arabic and English, Mohamad told the Star with a chuckle. He said that the most difficult thing is learning how to write in the new language, which requires learn- ing a new alphabet.
Through the resettlement centre, the family received Santa Fund gift boxes for their children last year, and will again this year. Muna said the gifts — which include necessities such as warm clothes and dental care — helped them when they arrived in their new country.
The Santa Claus Fund provides 45,000 underprivileged children aged 12 and younger in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Pickering and Ajax with gift boxes at Christmas. Recipients receive a warm shirt (toddlers get a fleece-lined tracksuit while newborn infants get a five-piece set that includes onesies), a warm hat, warm gloves or mittens, socks, a toy, a book, cookies and dental hygiene items (aged 4 and up) inside.
For many of the kids, it’s the only present they’ll receive.
Muna and Mohamad are thrilled to be in Canada after facing strife in Syria. A highlight was a three-day trip to Ottawa, admiring the architecture of the Parliament Buildings, and meeting Ahmed Hussen, the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship.
The children are just happy to be somewhere peaceful.
“They left a country where there was killing and war, so when they came here, it opened their heart to engage in the country,” Mohamad said of his four kids. “There’s peace here, so it’s very easy for them to live here.”
Muna added, “They like everything, especially that all the people are smiling when they look at them.”
Mohamad is an Uber driver who does most of his work on weekends. Two of their children want to be police officers, while one wants to be a doctor. The infant has yet to decide.
“When the country that you’re coming to has more opportunities than the country that you live in, you sometimes want to cry,” Mohamad said regarding Syria. “Your country is not giving you what it’s supposed to.”
The family has found a supportive community in their neighbours, some of whom have also recently come to Canada from Syria, and from a local mosque.
“When the country that you’re coming to has more opportunities than the country that you live in, you sometimes want to cry.” MOHAMAD ALMOBAYED A SYRIAN REFUGEE
They say they are thankful to the government for the support they have received, and thank all Canadians “because if Canadians are not supporting refugees, they would not be able to live here.” If you have been touched by the Santa Claus Fund or have a story to tell, please email santaclausfund@thestar.ca.