Refugee Sponsorship is such a human journey

Hello you wonder of civilization.

I realized recently that I am coming up on my two year anniversary working at the Refugee Hub, and coincidentally 'Team Sponsor Wow' (yes, I take full responsibility for this ridiculous name) just passed the two-month anniversary of our refugee family's arrival in Canada. So this week, I have been thinking about how my life has changed since getting involved in the refugee space.

Before joining the Refugee Hub, my engagement in the social justice space revolved around international development and civil society strengthening. Refugee issues were part of that universe, but I didn't really have any in-depth experience of the refugee crisis. Over the past two years, I have learned a ton about refugee protection and resettlement, and feel so grateful to be working with some of the most amazing colleagues and community partners on the planet. (Seriously. These people are incredible.) 

As I learned more about the opportunities to make a difference and the impact individuals can have on the lives of people affected by the refugee crisis, so too grew my desire to get more personally involved. And when the BVOR matching fund was launched last summer, there was no excuse not to sponsor. So in a fit of long-percolating inspiration, a group of Ottawa friends decided to come together and help resettle a refugee family.
 
There was an initial and intense flurry of activity in the autumn as learned about our roles and responsibilities as a sponsor group, collecting donations, finding them a place to live, filling out forms, and generally trying to figure out how we were going to do this!  In late October we got word that their arrival was confirmed and the family landed on November 23: a resilient, patient, wonderfully-fun-loving widowed mother and her three incredible children (aged 10, 14 and 15). Since their arrival, life for all of us has been a whirlwind of ALL THE THINGS: happiness and anxiety and stress and gratitude and inspiration and worry… and so many things lost in translation (literally).  But in spite of this—or perhaps because of this—the resettlement journey so far feels like one of the most piercingly human experiences I have ever had.
 
I feel so grateful to be doing this with such an amazing collection of human beings (which really is such a privilege: Canada is one of the very few countries in the world where citizens can privately sponsor refugees). We have already hit some big milestones in 2019, including getting the kids in school and with the mother starting English lessons-- getting into the daily rhythms of their new life in Canada. Not to mention their first sledding and skating expeditions, and celebrating the youngest's birthday in early January. So life is unfolding for all of us.

As I reflect on the experience so far, I am so thrilled to be on this journey with a group of wonderful people in Team Sponsor Wow. We didn’t all know each other when we formed the group back in September, but the ways in which we have banded together and gelled as a team has been a genuine and unexpected joy to experience. 

And in particular, I am blown away by the resilience of this family who lost everything and have put their faith in Canada and our small group of friends to help create a new life after facing such violence and heartbreak. Like many other refugee families, they have gone through huge trauma while also facing the deep uncertainty, worry and stress of leaving their home, language, culture and people to come half way around the world. And yet I also watch them embracing their new situation with so much patience, curiosity and grit. 
 
Despite this week's dispatch being a tad lengthy, I actually have few words to truly express how complexly human this all feels. The resettlement process has not been easy and there will be lots of challenges to face this year, but I can’t wait to face those challenges with this collection of amazing human beings. All of the people involved-- both the group members and the refugee family we are supporting-- we were separate constellations of humans just a couple of months ago. But now we are all an ‘us’— our group and the family-- thrown together and forever connected as we create a small but slightly better future, together.

To me, this is all so beautiful and I am so grateful. So I thought I would share.
 
PS:  If you want to contribute to the family we are sponsoring, please feel welcome to donate and join us in this effort.  If you need a tax receipt, get in touch and I can give you more information on how to donate and get a charitable tax receipt.

PPS: The Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR) program connects extra-vulnerable refugees with sponsor groups in Canada. If interested, check out this page to learn more about sponsoring a BVOR refugee

I hope you enjoyed this dispatch, and you have an 'us'-filled week!

Until next Sunday,
The Earnest Platypus