Category: Frontpage

Ghebrelul and Medhin’s journey to Canada reads as a historical novel full of twists and turns.

Ghebrelul joined the former imperial Ethiopian Navy in 1962, where he served until he fled the country in 1978. Ethiopia and Eritrea had been colonized by Italy before the Allied powers defeated the Italian fascist regime in World War II. Shortly after, the Eritrean people wanted to create an independent state. However, the Western powers decided that Eritrea would be incorporated with Ethiopia. Eritreans did not give up and continued to struggle for national self-determination – first protesting peacefully, then taking up arms when peaceful demonstrations did not yield results. In the mid-1970s, a dictatorial regime came to power. The Ethiopian government declared an era of “red terror” in the country, a “terrible time for Eritrean and Ethiopian people” says Ghebrelul. The core objective of the red terror was to silence any kind of dissent in the country, especially Eritrean dissent. “[My Eritrean friends and I in the navy] were ordered to fight against our brothers and sisters who were fighting for Eritrean freedom and independence. Decision day had suddenly arrived.”

Fighting against his own people was intolerable. So, in February 1978, Ghebrelul left the Ethiopian Navy and Eritrea. Medhin and their two daughters followed him. Over the next ten years, their journey took them to several countries – Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Bulgaria, and finally Greece. Ghebrelul and his family are Christians, which added to their already difficult circumstances. Ghebrelul’s religious beliefs led to his month-long imprisonment and eventual deportation from Saudi Arabia, but they also served as the link connecting him to people from Canada. Fellow Canadian churchgoers met Ghebrelul and his family in Saudi Arabia. They then helped connect the family to a sponsor group in Toronto.

Ghebrelul, Medhin, and their two daughters arrived in Canada on April 12th, 1989.

A beautiful welcome

The family’s sponsors were parishioners from an Anglican Church in Toronto. After their first week in Canada, the family were invited to visit the church. “There were flowers and lots of people welcoming us at the church. They prepared a beautiful event for us. They wanted to make us feel warm because we were new” says Medhin. The relationship between Ghebrelul and Medhin and their sponsors worked out well, to say the least. The sponsors were there to support the family in every way they needed. The sponsors grew especially close to Ghebrelul and Medhin’s daughters – for Christmas, they bought them everything they wanted. Ghebrelul and Medhin have been a part of the Church that welcomed them ever since their arrival in 1989.

“They gave us all that, our kids and ourselves, to be where we are. The church, our sponsors – they gave us hope, they gave us motivation.”

Being underestimated and infantilized

Not every relationship in Canada was as positive for Ghebrelul and Medhin. Medhin recalls the time when she started English classes – she couldn’t spell “Eritrea” in English, which made her classmates laugh at her. Feeling embarrassed and discouraged, Medhin wanted to quit. Thankfully, her teacher would not let her. She told Medhin to stay and be proud of herself for her achievements. That encouraged Medhin – thanks to the support of her teacher, Medhin graduated with Honour’s from George Brown College. As anywhere, relationships in Canada are complex – some people will laugh at you and underestimate you, while others will make it a point to support you.

For Ghebrelul, like for many other newcomers, the biggest challenge was finding employment. In Saudi Arabia, Ghebrelul was able to work for a Saudi naval base because of his military experience. However, his extensive foreign experience was not valued after coming to Canada. Employers wanted to see Canadian work experience. It was a difficult time for the family. After a while, Ghebrelul found a job at a business company “on the 22nd floor at Yonge and Eglinton.” The family was happy and secure – until after about three years when Ghebrelul got laid off as a part of a massive company downsizing. Ghebrelul did not give up. He upgraded his credentials through a program at George Brown in the hope that it would help him find another job. “I applied to six different banks…. They said that they will keep my resume for six months. But I couldn’t wait for six months – I had a family.” Ghebrelul changed careers again to support his family and became a certified taxi driver in Toronto – “I know the city very well now.”

Accomplishments, hopes and advice.

Integrating into the work culture has been challenging, and Ghebrelul and Medhin have had to take different jobs to support their family. For all their sacrifices, however, they beam with pride when talking about their family. One of their daughters became a human rights lawyer and ran for mayor of Toronto, they proudly share. “We came here as refugees, imagine!” exclaims Ghebrelul. Their daughter’s work also gave them a chance to meet a former Prime Minister. “We came from nothing and got to meet the Prime Minister of Canada!” says Medhin.

Ghebrelul and Medhin also take pride in the hard work they put in to build their communities. Despite being undervalued and at times infantilized, they have carved out places in the job market, the church, and their neighbourhood. When they arrived, Ghebrelul and Medhin were the only Eritreans in their community. Now, they are at the heart of a growing and diverse community, as they continually welcome newcomers to the neighbourhood.

A final word to Canadians

One myth Medhin and Ghebrelul want to dispel is that refugees will be a burden to Canadians—they won’t be! Refugees are eager to work and contribute to society: “Many people who come here, they know more [about Canada] than we do. They have done their research online.”

Ghebrelul and Medhin’s journey to Canada reads as a historical novel full of twists and turns.

Ghebrelul joined the former imperial Ethiopian Navy in 1962, where he served until he fled the country in 1978. Ethiopia and Eritrea had been colonized by Italy before the Allied powers defeated the Italian fascist regime in World War II. Shortly after, the Eritrean people wanted to create an independent state. However, the Western powers decided that Eritrea would be incorporated with Ethiopia. Eritreans did not give up and continued to struggle for national self-determination – first protesting peacefully, then taking up arms when peaceful demonstrations did not yield results. In the mid-1970s, a dictatorial regime came to power. The Ethiopian government declared an era of “red terror” in the country, a “terrible time for Eritrean and Ethiopian people” says Ghebrelul. The core objective of the red terror was to silence any kind of dissent in the country, especially Eritrean dissent. “[My Eritrean friends and I in the navy] were ordered to fight against our brothers and sisters who were fighting for Eritrean freedom and independence. Decision day had suddenly arrived.”

Fighting against his own people was intolerable. So, in February 1978, Ghebrelul left the Ethiopian Navy and Eritrea. Medhin and their two daughters followed him. Over the next ten years, their journey took them to several countries – Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Bulgaria, and finally Greece. Ghebrelul and his family are Christians, which added to their already difficult circumstances. Ghebrelul’s religious beliefs led to his month-long imprisonment and eventual deportation from Saudi Arabia, but they also served as the link connecting him to people from Canada. Fellow Canadian churchgoers met Ghebrelul and his family in Saudi Arabia. They then helped connect the family to a sponsor group in Toronto.

Ghebrelul, Medhin, and their two daughters arrived in Canada on April 12th, 1989.

A beautiful welcome

The family’s sponsors were parishioners from an Anglican Church in Toronto. After their first week in Canada, the family were invited to visit the church. “There were flowers and lots of people welcoming us at the church. They prepared a beautiful event for us. They wanted to make us feel warm because we were new” says Medhin. The relationship between Ghebrelul and Medhin and their sponsors worked out well, to say the least. The sponsors were there to support the family in every way they needed. The sponsors grew especially close to Ghebrelul and Medhin’s daughters – for Christmas, they bought them everything they wanted. Ghebrelul and Medhin have been a part of the Church that welcomed them ever since their arrival in 1989.

“They gave us all that, our kids and ourselves, to be where we are. The church, our sponsors – they gave us hope, they gave us motivation.”

Being underestimated and infantilized

Not every relationship in Canada was as positive for Ghebrelul and Medhin. Medhin recalls the time when she started English classes – she couldn’t spell “Eritrea” in English, which made her classmates laugh at her. Feeling embarrassed and discouraged, Medhin wanted to quit. Thankfully, her teacher would not let her. She told Medhin to stay and be proud of herself for her achievements. That encouraged Medhin – thanks to the support of her teacher, Medhin graduated with Honour’s from George Brown College. As anywhere, relationships in Canada are complex – some people will laugh at you and underestimate you, while others will make it a point to support you.

For Ghebrelul, like for many other newcomers, the biggest challenge was finding employment. In Saudi Arabia, Ghebrelul was able to work for a Saudi naval base because of his military experience. However, his extensive foreign experience was not valued after coming to Canada. Employers wanted to see Canadian work experience. It was a difficult time for the family. After a while, Ghebrelul found a job at a business company “on the 22nd floor at Yonge and Eglinton.” The family was happy and secure – until after about three years when Ghebrelul got laid off as a part of a massive company downsizing. Ghebrelul did not give up. He upgraded his credentials through a program at George Brown in the hope that it would help him find another job. “I applied to six different banks…. They said that they will keep my resume for six months. But I couldn’t wait for six months – I had a family.” Ghebrelul changed careers again to support his family and became a certified taxi driver in Toronto – “I know the city very well now.”

Accomplishments, hopes and advice.

Integrating into the work culture has been challenging, and Ghebrelul and Medhin have had to take different jobs to support their family. For all their sacrifices, however, they beam with pride when talking about their family. One of their daughters became a human rights lawyer and ran for mayor of Toronto, they proudly share. “We came here as refugees, imagine!” exclaims Ghebrelul. Their daughter’s work also gave them a chance to meet a former Prime Minister. “We came from nothing and got to meet the Prime Minister of Canada!” says Medhin.

Ghebrelul and Medhin also take pride in the hard work they put in to build their communities. Despite being undervalued and at times infantilized, they have carved out places in the job market, the church, and their neighbourhood. When they arrived, Ghebrelul and Medhin were the only Eritreans in their community. Now, they are at the heart of a growing and diverse community, as they continually welcome newcomers to the neighbourhood.

A final word to Canadians

One myth Medhin and Ghebrelul want to dispel is that refugees will be a burden to Canadians—they won’t be! Refugees are eager to work and contribute to society: “Many people who come here, they know more [about Canada] than we do. They have done their research online.”

Busha “hoped and prayed” his family would get resettled somewhere other than Canada. All Busha had heard of Canada was that it was an extremely cold country with unfriendly people. This was the image Busha held until the day he arrived. Busha and his family came through the Blended Visa-Office Referred program, and because of this, they did not have the opportunity to talk to their sponsor group or learn more from them about Canada before coming.

Thankfully, Canada turned out to be quite different than Busha expected—the opposite of what he expected, in fact. “When I came here, it turned out to be the best country in the world. Not one of the best, but the best!” Busha declared.

From strangers to family
Busha’s sponsorship group played a big part in changing his impressions. They met Busha and his family…

Busha “hoped and prayed” his family would get resettled somewhere other than Canada. All Busha had heard of Canada was that it was an extremely cold country with unfriendly people. This was the image Busha held until the day he arrived. Busha and his family came through the Blended Visa-Office Referred program, and because of this, they did not have the opportunity to talk to their sponsor group or learn more from them about Canada before coming.

Thankfully, Canada turned out to be quite different than Busha expected—the opposite of what he expected, in fact. “When I came here, it turned out to be the best country in the world. Not one of the best, but the best!” Busha declared.

From strangers to family
Busha’s sponsorship group played a big part in changing his impressions. They met Busha and his family at the airport, pleasantly surprising him with their greeting. Busha describes: “When we came out of the plane, we saw two angels holding signs with our names on them. They welcomed us and immediately took us to their home.”

Busha stayed with a Canadian family until they moved into permanent housing. During the stay, their sponsors went to great—and creative—lengths to make them feel welcome. The hosts cooked a traditional, Ethiopian lentil stew, and they used a recipe they looked up on YouTube to do it! This kind of treatment toward someone who had just arrived from another continent was startling to Busha. “We did not have any relatives in Canada” he said, “but upon our arrival, our sponsors made us feel so welcome… We just got a family right away [in our sponsors]. I can never forget that.”

During a particularly challenging time, Busha remembers how the sponsors supported him. Busha was safe in Canada but remained separated from his sister and daughter, who were in South Africa and Ethiopia respectively. The sponsors noticed Busha’s pain and were also distressed by the situation. They actively looked for ways to assist the two women in coming to Canada and ultimately succeeded in helping reunite Busha and his sister and daughter.

To this day, Busha’s family remains extremely close to their sponsors. One of Busha’s children took their first steps at a sponsor’s house, and both of his kids still call this sponsor “Grandma.” The connection between Busha’s family and their sponsors runs deep. Together they’ve built a lasting relationship rooted in respect and mutual gratitude.

Barriers and new dreams
Growing up in Ethiopia, Busha dreamed of becoming an engineer. Unfortunately, heartbreaking circumstances got in his way. As the son of a political opposition leader, Busha was persecuted and had to flee Ethiopia early in life. He spent many years as a refugee in Kenya and then in South Africa. Neither of those places allow refugees to integrate into society, gain education or employment, or even open a bank account. So, one of Busha’s biggest concerns when coming to Canada was going to school. Would he be able to study in Canada? Would he be able to afford it?

Upon arriving, he found there were many options for pursuing education. Getting a degree in Engineering would be too challenging given his family’s circumstances, so Busha studied to become an HVAC technician. Deciding on a new career path and completing the degree were not the final hurdles Busha faced, however.

Even with incredible determination, newcomers still confront many barriers. Navigating the Canadian financial system can cause significant stress. Busha was displaced for many years, so he did not have extensive experience with banks or credit cards, and he wished newcomers would receive more financial training to safely manage their money.

His biggest challenge, however, was finding a job. After he completed the HVAC course and became a certified technician, he interviewed tirelessly for a job. It was a long process involving many rejections from employers.

Busha eventually landed a position at an HVAC company in Scarborough and worked there until the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working hard for family and community
Although Busha has enjoyed working as an HVAC technician, he finds himself drawn to more spiritual occupations. Busha recently began a program at the Canadian Christian College and is studying to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology. He plans to use his education to do counselling in his community. “Not all refugees come through sponsorship – some come as students or workers and apply for asylum from within Canada. And they are depressed. So, I just want to help them [through] spiritual counselling” says Busha.

Having overcome serious challenges over the past seven years in Canada, Busha is proud of what he has achieved. He says with pride that he has become a good citizen – someone who works hard for his family and his community and who helps to build up his country. Busha’s next big dream is to buy a house.

Hardworking and human
When asked about one thing that he would like Canadians to understand about the experiences of refugees, Busha says: “One thing everyone needs to know is that nobody wants to leave their country. Nobody…. But every person who is asking for asylum—every refugee—we are forced to leave. There is something that forced us, the economy, politics, or persecution…. Refugees need basic necessities: food, shelter, clothing. We don’t need more than that. To get all of that, we need [access] to work. Refugees want to work, to feed themselves, to go to school. If you give us an opportunity to move to a more stable country, we will be good citizens. We are human too.”