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John Matunga, 44, says that so far, his first Christmas in Ottawa is the best one he’s ever had.
“It’s the happiest ever,” he said, wearing a suit, tie and a novelty Santa hat that drew laughter from his wife, Bijou. “I’ve never enjoyed such a good Christmas.”
Matunga is a government-sponsored refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He and Bijou fled regional violence in Congo with their three youngest children this fall, arriving in Ottawa at the beginning of October.
Among the many relatives they left behind, however, is the family’s eldest daughter. She’ll be celebrating the holidays without her immediate family because she did not have the required papers to come to Canada, Matunga said. John and Bijou hope they will see their daughter again soon. Christmas is a time for family, they said.
But despite adapting to a new country, missing family back home and trying to understand the weather — there is no “feels like” temperature in the Congo, he says — John and his family are thrilled to be here.
By “here,” Matunga means Ottawa, but also Maison Sophia Reception House, a temporary residence in Lowertown for newly arrived government-assisted refugees and refugee claimants. The facility sees every government-assisted refugee who enters the city and houses them for up to several weeks until permanent housing is found.
On Thursday, Reception House, which is run by the Catholic Centre for Immigrants, hosted its 29th annual Christmas party. It was an opportunity for the facility’s staff and clients to focus on celebrating the season rather than the circumstances that brought its residents to Ottawa in the first place.
Staff acknowledge that, for many refugees who celebrate Christmas, this is the first time they will experience a quintessentially Canadian one.
For Chamroeun Lay, Reception House’s manager, Christmas at the facility has less to do with religious affiliation than it does with the meaning under its surface.
“It’s a season of joy and sharing,” said Lay, surrounded by more than 100 gifts for residents, mostly donated by local community groups. “We want them to remember their first taste of Christmas in Canada.”
Many certainly will. The party lit up the dining room at Reception House, with a Christmas tree decorated by the children and rows of gift bags and boxes lining one end. Gifts for children included toiletries, warm clothing like hats and mittens, toys and school supplies. Adults received items essential to starting a new home, such as toasters, rice cookers or other small appliances.
But beyond the presents, there’s something else Lay seeks to convey to Reception House residents. It’s given in the form of a phrase, oft-repeated.
“Canada is cold, but the heart of a Canadian can melt the snow.”
It’s a sentiment that sounds like it was lifted straight from a greeting card, but the words are nothing but sincere. Lay is a former refugee who arrived in Ottawa 35 years ago from Cambodia, spending three years in a refugee camp along the way. When he speaks to his clients, he does so not to sugarcoat their circumstances, but to offer lived advice.
“Christmas is about hope as well,” he said. “As a refugee myself, I know how tough it is, especially the first year.”
John, Bijou and their children — Jehovanie, Israel and Joyce — are feeling the hope. When the party kicked off with a selection of spirited carols sung by the children, Bijou was everywhere at once, quickly snapping photos on her phone. When Santa Claus heartily announced his arrival in the room, the whole family clapped and cheered.
After receiving her presents from Santa, Bijou — just as smartly dressed as her husband in a bright blue floral dress — enthusiastically hugged Reception House’s staff, expressing gratitude and blessings.
The residence has seen 512 refugees in 2017 so far. Almost half have been Syrian, but the number from the Democratic Republic of the Congo sits at 14.5 per cent.
This represents an increase from last year, when only 6.8 per cent of government-assisted refugees entering Ottawa were from the country. In 2016, more than 1,500 refugees passed through Reception House’s doors. It was a particularly high number for the temporary residence, entirely attributed to the Syrian refugee crisis.
December also marked the first month of 2017 in which no Syrian refugees arrived at Reception House. Instead, the year has been characterized by increased arrivals from across Africa: Gambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Eritrea specifically. Rising regional violence and countries on the brink of civil war have forced families like John Matunga’s into neighbouring countries — or across the Atlantic to Canada.
John and Bijou are eager to continue integrating into Ottawa life. They’re coping with the weather and prefer the city’s frigid temperatures to Congo’s overwhelming heat. John’s logic is sound: You can always put on more clothes when it is cold, but there’s only so far you can go when it’s hot.
Over the remainder of the holiday season, John wants to take his family skating on Parliament Hill’s Canada 150 rink. He’s worried about where to find skates. And he is delighted to discover there are multiple rinks across the downtown core.
For John and his family, the abundance of opportunity is a wonderful thing.
Three-year-old Joyce poses with Santa Claus after receiving her gifts at the Maison Sophia Reception House Christmas party. Raisa Patel/Postmedia
查看原文...
“It’s the happiest ever,” he said, wearing a suit, tie and a novelty Santa hat that drew laughter from his wife, Bijou. “I’ve never enjoyed such a good Christmas.”
Matunga is a government-sponsored refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He and Bijou fled regional violence in Congo with their three youngest children this fall, arriving in Ottawa at the beginning of October.
Among the many relatives they left behind, however, is the family’s eldest daughter. She’ll be celebrating the holidays without her immediate family because she did not have the required papers to come to Canada, Matunga said. John and Bijou hope they will see their daughter again soon. Christmas is a time for family, they said.
But despite adapting to a new country, missing family back home and trying to understand the weather — there is no “feels like” temperature in the Congo, he says — John and his family are thrilled to be here.
By “here,” Matunga means Ottawa, but also Maison Sophia Reception House, a temporary residence in Lowertown for newly arrived government-assisted refugees and refugee claimants. The facility sees every government-assisted refugee who enters the city and houses them for up to several weeks until permanent housing is found.
On Thursday, Reception House, which is run by the Catholic Centre for Immigrants, hosted its 29th annual Christmas party. It was an opportunity for the facility’s staff and clients to focus on celebrating the season rather than the circumstances that brought its residents to Ottawa in the first place.
Staff acknowledge that, for many refugees who celebrate Christmas, this is the first time they will experience a quintessentially Canadian one.
For Chamroeun Lay, Reception House’s manager, Christmas at the facility has less to do with religious affiliation than it does with the meaning under its surface.
“It’s a season of joy and sharing,” said Lay, surrounded by more than 100 gifts for residents, mostly donated by local community groups. “We want them to remember their first taste of Christmas in Canada.”
Many certainly will. The party lit up the dining room at Reception House, with a Christmas tree decorated by the children and rows of gift bags and boxes lining one end. Gifts for children included toiletries, warm clothing like hats and mittens, toys and school supplies. Adults received items essential to starting a new home, such as toasters, rice cookers or other small appliances.
But beyond the presents, there’s something else Lay seeks to convey to Reception House residents. It’s given in the form of a phrase, oft-repeated.
“Canada is cold, but the heart of a Canadian can melt the snow.”
It’s a sentiment that sounds like it was lifted straight from a greeting card, but the words are nothing but sincere. Lay is a former refugee who arrived in Ottawa 35 years ago from Cambodia, spending three years in a refugee camp along the way. When he speaks to his clients, he does so not to sugarcoat their circumstances, but to offer lived advice.
“Christmas is about hope as well,” he said. “As a refugee myself, I know how tough it is, especially the first year.”
John, Bijou and their children — Jehovanie, Israel and Joyce — are feeling the hope. When the party kicked off with a selection of spirited carols sung by the children, Bijou was everywhere at once, quickly snapping photos on her phone. When Santa Claus heartily announced his arrival in the room, the whole family clapped and cheered.
After receiving her presents from Santa, Bijou — just as smartly dressed as her husband in a bright blue floral dress — enthusiastically hugged Reception House’s staff, expressing gratitude and blessings.
The residence has seen 512 refugees in 2017 so far. Almost half have been Syrian, but the number from the Democratic Republic of the Congo sits at 14.5 per cent.
This represents an increase from last year, when only 6.8 per cent of government-assisted refugees entering Ottawa were from the country. In 2016, more than 1,500 refugees passed through Reception House’s doors. It was a particularly high number for the temporary residence, entirely attributed to the Syrian refugee crisis.
December also marked the first month of 2017 in which no Syrian refugees arrived at Reception House. Instead, the year has been characterized by increased arrivals from across Africa: Gambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Eritrea specifically. Rising regional violence and countries on the brink of civil war have forced families like John Matunga’s into neighbouring countries — or across the Atlantic to Canada.
John and Bijou are eager to continue integrating into Ottawa life. They’re coping with the weather and prefer the city’s frigid temperatures to Congo’s overwhelming heat. John’s logic is sound: You can always put on more clothes when it is cold, but there’s only so far you can go when it’s hot.
Over the remainder of the holiday season, John wants to take his family skating on Parliament Hill’s Canada 150 rink. He’s worried about where to find skates. And he is delighted to discover there are multiple rinks across the downtown core.
For John and his family, the abundance of opportunity is a wonderful thing.
Three-year-old Joyce poses with Santa Claus after receiving her gifts at the Maison Sophia Reception House Christmas party. Raisa Patel/Postmedia
查看原文...
