Couple focusing on mastering French, finding jobs

Raising two kids on social assistance

Coming to Quebec from another country can be difficult under the best of circumstances. When you and your family are not fluent in either official language, the transition can be especially hard.

That is the situation in which Javier found himself when he came here 14 months ago with his wife and children.

“We needed a new place to live, and we liked Montreal as a place to live for our children,” he said. “We thought we could give them a good future here.”

Javier is among the thousands who are to receive a $125 cheque from The Gazette Christmas Fund this year. The money helps families and individuals in need get through the holiday season.

Since coming here from Colombia, Javier, 43, and his wife have made great progress by taking French classes — a task made easier by a welcoming community. Even so, neither of them has been able to find work.

“It hasn’t been easy. At the beginning, the language was hard, because we spoke very little French and we had to learn,” he said. “We knew a lot of people, Québécois and other nationalities, but getting used to the language was still hard. Finding work was hard because you have to speak French to work, and some English, too.”

While the transition has been difficult in terms of finding work, the couple’s two children are becoming proficient in French. Javier explained that his 12-year-old daughter is doing well in school, while his 3-year-old son is already talking a lot and will soon surpass his parents.

Javier and his wife went to university to become accountants in Colombia. However, because of their difficulties finding work in Montreal, they are supporting the two children via social assistance payments, which often aren’t enough to cover their expenses, especially as the weather turns colder.

“We pay rent, we buy food and we are buying clothes for winter,” he explained. “Those are our principal expenses.”

While the basic necessities eat up much of their monthly budget, Javier and his wife are hoping to use the Christmas Fund money to have a happy holiday in their new country. The money will be going toward a Christmas meal and some small gifts for their children that will make Canada feel a bit more like home.

“We want to have a good Christmas meal,” Javier said. “In Colombia, we always ate as a family. That is our tradition.”