As many of you know my family has been involved with a refugee family.
Today I would like to first share their background story for those that have not heard it before, then I would like to give an update on where they are today and lastly I would like to share a Rotary moment.
My daughter met two young men on a flight from Toronto 4 years ago. They were coming into a completely different world. Little did my daughter know how big a part of our family these two individual would become.
They were from DRC where they had been beaten almost to death before they escaped. They then spent 8 years in Kampala, Uganda as refugees waiting for a new country. They learnt English and took courses and also were teachers and councillors to others.
Shortly after they were accepted by Canada, John found out that his wife and 3 children were still alive in the Congo. This is after 8 years of not knowing. They were reunited for 3 months in Uganda before John left for Canada.
Once in Canada, John and his brother, Dandy did much to upgrade their schooling and find employment. John was able to obtain his Nursing Assistant Certificate.
After 3 year of constant frustration with the immigration process, which was only focused on the Syrian refugees, John’s family was finally accepted by Canada. Much thanks goes to the staff of my local MP.
Our family and friends held several drives to pay for their flights, to completely furnish a townhouse and to provide clothes and toys. I spent a fair amount of time looking for accommodations that would fit their budget in a safe neighbourhood and that was close to John’s work. The budget limitations were a definite problem. In the end an ideal townhouse was found.
The family reunion has been very interesting to be a part of. There have been times of extreme joy as well as times of great challenges.
John has three jobs. He is a permanent teaching assistant with the Catholic School board. He also works part time at Safeway on the week-ends and he works at Durabuild during the holiday periods. Total employment income is only around $40,000.
On May 1st at the end their first year lease, their landlord indicated the rent would increase $200 per month on June 1st. This combined with the fact that the Knight’s of Columbus had provided $600 per month support towards their rent for one year and it also was coming to an end. This additional $800 per month was beyond what their budget could handle. John was ready to move with few to no alternatives in his budget range. Adele was expecting in early July. Soon there would be 7 in a 3 bedroom townhouse. For them this was very workable. The alternatives were 3 bedroom apartments at the same or higher prices. This was a major predicament.
At a Rotary meeting, Spence just happened to ask me how John and family were doing. I told him of their situation. He instantly wanted to know more and see if the club could help. I attended and board meeting and presented the situation. The board was very generous and made a commitment to help with $200/ month for one year. This did much to relieve the pressure on this family. It was very greatly appreciated. Annie has letter from John she will read shortly.
For me this Rotary support was my Rotary moment.
I would like to now share some other positive updates:
Adele could not speak English when she arrived. She has been taking government supported classes and now is getting along reasonable well in English.
Jordi the oldest son finished his grade 8. He was recognized for getting top marks in both French and Science in his class.
The two girls, Karen and Kevel, have been diagnosis with Sickle Cell Anima. Thanks to the Stollery, Karen is still alive after two serious attacks. They now have routine visits every 3 weeks for tests and they are on life-long medications. The Stollery is known as one of the best hospital in North America for this serious illness. The girls are both doing well in school and enjoying their new friends.
After 4 years in Canada, John has just recently written and passed the test for Canadian citizenship. He now is very excited about becoming a true Canadian.
Finally in July, they added a new member to their family. He was the first Canadian in their family. We were pleasantly surprised to hear the name they gave their new baby. They called him Jeremiah Berg Kibanga.
Personally it has been very rewarding to be a part of their life. They are progressing in a positive direction towards being good contributing Canadians. They are a great example of what a second chance can mean to a family in great need.
Thank you so much for sharing your story Duart. You and your family have certainly made a difference for John and his family. You have opened up your hearts to give others a helping hand. You are a true Rotarian! John wrote a letter of thanks to our club which I have attached.
