MUST BE AN ANGEL
Months after arriving in Toronto as a refugee, 9-year-old Eileen Rojas is lighting up the stage in one of the city’s Christmas pageants,
The angel who came as a refugee
It’s just past supper hour and some cast members have gathered at Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity to rehearse for their upcoming Christmas pageant.
It’s all hands on deck, so Elizabeth Raybould, the assistant producer/director of the nativity play, is subbing as a makeup artist, putting some eyeshadow on Eileen Rojas and styling the girl’s long dark hair.
Dressed as an angel, Eileen, 9, then heads downstairs toward the stage and giggles with excitement, scampering barefoot across the church floor in her costume — a white robe with a goldcoloured sash.
Holy Trinity sponsored Eileen; her 10year-old brother, Miguel; 6-year-old sister, Sara; and mom, Luz, to come to Canada as refugees this spring. They were displaced by violence in Quindio, Colombia, and fled to Ecuador in September 2013, then landed here in April.
In early December, members of the downtown church asked Eileen if she wanted to be an angel in their 78th annual performance of The Christmas Story.
The youngster jumped at the opportunity. “I felt happy — I’ve never done anything like this before,” the first-time performer says in Spanish as a translator stands by. Before coming to Toronto, Eileen had never even attended school.
And at one point in the Christmas show, she’ll raise her arms above her head triumphantly, a moment she says she’s looking forward to.
It’s a far cry from the grinding poverty and hopelessness Eileen and her family faced before coming here. After fleeing to Ecuador, the family lived on the street for a while. Luz had to beg for money to feed her children. Her husband disappeared after the family left Colombia, and his whereabouts are unknown.
The family had to pick through rags and refuse looking for anything to salvage for money. “(Eileen) would rummage through the garbage looking for cans,” Luz says. “She’s a toughie.”
Eventually, a charitable group gave Luz a stove and some pots and pans, and she started selling empanadas on the street. She also sold sweets on buses and at stop- lights — all with her children in tow.
The family came here through Canada’s Joint Assistance Sponsorship Program, which supports government-assisted refugees who face special needs. The Rojas clan qualified because youngest daughter Sara has cerebral palsy.
The program allows groups to act as private sponsors for refugees. Holy Trinity’s refugee committee is one such group. It provides friendship and settlement support such as translation services and assistance in finding housing and health care.
Since 1991, Holy Trinity has sponsored 125 refugees from war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Iran, Kosovo, Somalia and Sudan.
When they first arrived, Eileen and her family lived in a shelter. In July, they moved to their own apartment. Eileen is enrolled in Grade 4 in a Toronto public school.
She and her family are now permanent residents and their next step will be applying for Canadian citizenship.
“We really felt compelled by their story,” says Hélène Grégoire, a volunteer with the church’s refugee committee who translated during the Star’s interview with Eileen.
“A single mom, travelling with three children, fleeing violence. We knew they’d need a lot of support.”
Susan Watson, the director of the church pageant, notes that the nativity play touches on the refugee theme because according to the biblical story, Mary and Joseph fled Jerusalem for Egypt to protect the baby Jesus from the ruler Herod.
“They were refugees 2,000 years ago,” she says.
The play lasts just over an hour. It’s a Friday-to-Sunday production running until Dec. 20. Just over100 volunteers are involved in putting on the pageant, and all of the performers onstage are volunteers.
There’s a strong sense of community among the cast members, Watson says, adding that the play afforded Eileen the opportunity to form new friendships.
“Many children find this play a really fun experience because they don’t have to learn any lines. It’s narrated. For children even for whom English is their mother tongue, public speaking can be a real stress and take the fun out of the theatre.
“This way, they have all the fun of putting on a costume and the makeup, and being onstage and having friends and family come to see them.”
Asked if she’ll be nervous when it’s time to face a live audience, Eileen says “no mucho” — not much.
“I felt happy — I’ve never done anything like this before.” EILEEN ROJAS ON BEING ASKED TO APPEAR IN THE CHRISTMAS STORY