A dream come true

Fartun Bashir is a former Somali Refugee who now has permanent residency in Canada and is in the process of becoming a Canadian citizen. This is her story.

Written by Andre Rochon

Fartun Bashir is now attending course at the Saint John College with some course here at the university. She is set to be a full time student next semester. There is an upcoming election for the SRC and on the ballot the issue of a 5 dollar levy will be presented to the student population. Without your support we are unable to fund a student through the Student Refugee Program. It is thorough your generosity that we are able to do such an amazing thing. This is not only a WUSC success but a UNBSJ success. Please vote yes in this week’s election.

I am originally from Somalia. I fled the country with my family when I was 2 years old in 1992 due to civil war that start in the 1990’s. The city that my family fled to was Manbassa in Kenya. We stayed there for 4 years and went to a refugee camp on the other side of the city in 1996.

Life in the refugee camp was challenging. The people living in the camp experience a lot of problems within their life due to their experiences before they came to the camp. In the early part of the 90’s there were many security problems in the camp. Group of gangs would come to your house at night and attack you. But thanks to the government of Kenya and Non Governmental Organizations operating there, they made security tighter and made is a safer environment.

In the Refugee camp there are many different ethnic groups living there. The majority are Somalis, there are people from Ethiopia, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan and even Yemen.

Apart from the harsh environment we receive the same education as the Kenyan’s and receive the same national examinations. This is good because when we do come to Canada we are able to understand the language here. In high school they teach us the United Kingdom curriculum with English as our Primary language and Swahili as our secondary (the language spoken in Kenya other than English). We also are required to take biology, chemistry, social studies, mathematics and we have a range of optional classes. I took history and Arabic.

After high school I tried to work hard because life was challenging in those countries. I did not like to stay there and I tried by best to get out of there. I was able to qualify for the WUSC (World University Services of Canada) scholarship that was being offered by acquiring high grades. I see this is a very good program and it is not given out to everyone. It is only given to students with good grades and a willingness to continue their studies. Within the whole country there might be 18 people who get out every year.

I was very happy when I received the scholarship. I had to take an English test and do a research paper, I wrote on “Refugee camp life and childhood education in the camps: what girls experience”. Afterwards I had to have a medical assessment which is done in partnership with WUSC by Window Trusts Kenya and the International Organization of Migration. The process is relatively easy for students but it takes time with the IOM, about six months of taking English courses before anything happens.

I really feel like one of the lucky ones. Out of three classes in high school there are a total of one hundred and twenty students. And only three receive scholarship. It is really hard going to another country without previous travel experience especially when you have to go through immigration. But when you come to Canada you become a landed immigrant and you receive a lot of consideration. You are able to get immigration status when you go to the United States or other places but you are really all on your own. You need to work and it becomes very difficult to get established and go to school if you want to.

With WUSC committee members they help us along which was really appreciate. I am the only Somali that I know in this city and sometimes you are really alone and face many problems by yourself. But with my committee I am very happy, I feel there are people who really love me like my mother and my family does. They really take care of me and call me all the time asking if I need anything. With them I do not fee like I have problems here in Canada. Canadians seem to be very helpful. In America they resettle refugees who have fled the country, but Canada is the only country that gives out scholarships to students to study in Canada. People who do not qualify for WUSC scholarships and who get good grades are still considered for scholarships for Kenyan universities and schools.

My Dream as child was to be a Human Rights worker for children. I wanted to do this because they used to punish us in school (Dugsi) if you came late. I used to cry a lot when I was punished. When you go somewhere to study you become a special person, and I wanted to put those people in jail that beat children. I wanted to stop the punishments that they gave out to students.

When I finished high school these people want to help you learn…now I want to become a lawyer or a journalist. Back in my old school they told me that Muslims cannot become lawyers. I want to work with the United Nation high commission for Refugees or an NGO. I want to help people who are in poverty, who are suffering with many problems and disadvantages in Refugee camps. There are Billions of people in so many countries that live in hunger. Most of these countries are in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, so maybe I can help those people.

My view of Canada at first was due to the working with people from Canada and the U.S through the NGO that I worked with at the Refugee camp. When you come here there are so many differences. There is total freedom here and you can do anything you like, back at the camp there are limits for everything.

There you may not find men doing house hold activities. At my family homestead I really liked it. You had the husband cooking everything one night while the wife goes out and takes the dog for a walk. It was not a shock but a huge relief when I arrived. Women want tasks shared and have equal parts in the household and here you can take a stand.

I am glad that I am here, my life has changed. WUSC has as a slogan: education will change the world. I came from a camp were there are many problems with insecurity to be here in a place where you have everything that you need with opportunity, education, health benefits, receiving permanent residency and will soon be able to travel anywhere with my citizenship. I am now starting to see myself as Canada as my home. Sponsored students really appreciate the WUSC committees and Canadian students for what they have done to take up all of our responsibilities to make it and easy transition for us and to make our dreams come true.

Andre Rochon is a volunteer writer with the Baron.