ELMSDALE: A refugee family of four from Rohingya is looking to make a better life for themselves as newest residents of East Hants, Nova Scotia, and Canada.
Mohammed Ullah, Ruma, and their two daughters Nayma and Sayma (pronounced Nayema and Sayema) arrived in their new home thanks to the Hants East Assisting Refugee Team (HEART) non-profit organization.
The family arrived from last month at Halifax Stanfield Airport and are slowly becoming adjusted to their new surroundings.
Nayma and Sayma will both be attending a local elementary school when it returns in September.
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Mohammed explained why they came to Canada in a short interview while waiting to get the family’s luggage. The interview was translated.
“We are being oppressed for the last 32 years back home,” he said. We have been living at a small place at a refugee camp and passing through many hardships.
“The Burmese Army killed our parents; they humiliated our religion.”
He said his family is thankful to the HEART Society and Canada.
“We are thankful to Canadians for giving us a nice shelter whereas nobody gave us shelter at our home,” said Mohammed.
“Besides this, we would like to give thanks to Nova Scotians as well. There are many people being tortured like us in Arakan and we will be happy if they get shelter like us.”
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Linda Wood, one of the many community volunteers with HEART and among the small group that welcomed the family here with enthusiasm, spoke about the group’s involvement.
“In the past HEART Society has found people here in the East Hants area to be very welcoming to the refugee families we have sponsored,” she said.
“We greatly appreciate everyone’s efforts to help this family get a good start in Canada.”
Natalie Horne was asked why the HEART Society does what they do in finding refugees safe places here in our community.
“We all have the capacity to help in some way, and this is something we can do,” said Horne. “If everyone does something to try to help someone else, the world will be better.”
