In September 2012, a young man was hiding in a basement wondering whether he is going to be the next to go, wishing for a chance to say goodbye to his family that he hadn’t seen in four months while peeking through his window, watching the army killing innocent souls. Little did he know that this was the moment that was going to change his life forever. He might have survived the massacre but something inside him died that day as colors started disappearing to leave him with a dark heart of stone.  Since then, the universe took it upon itself to make him as miserable as it could by forcing the man to leave his city and look for a safer place to live where he found himself a stranger in his own country. That man worked so hard to get a better life until he found himself at a crossroads; joining the army under coercion or fleeing the country. 

From the car window he was looking at the buildings and avenues as he was getting further and further away, thinking about the tears in his father’s eyes which were delivering a sad message “I love you son; I hate to lose you son, but you have got to do what you have got to do”. Despite all the obstacles he faced to be smuggled into a nearby country, he arrived safe and sound. 

He thought he was going to be able to start a new life, find a decent job to support himself and his family in Syria, but he was wrong, as he found himself stuck in a country being discriminated against for being a Syrian refugee. Just when he started losing faith and stopped believing in a better tomorrow, with some help of good friends, he saw a light at the end of the tunnel. He was promised to be brought to Canada, where he can finally be safe, by the First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo (FUFON), who kept their promise. 

It was because of FUFON, through Canada’s private sponsorship program, that this man was given a chance to start a new life in a country he can call home. It is because of FUFON this man is currently sitting in a safe apartment surrounded by very kind sponsors, wishing that his words will inspire as many Canadians as possible to help as many refugees as possible. 

Ammar

ps: I couldn’t translate my gratitude into words so I thought I would tell you my story to help you understand how you have changed my life.