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Manotick church to sponsor refugee family emma.jackson@metroland.com
EMC news - In the season of new beginnings, one Manotick church is hoping to offer a fresh start to a family from Burma. The Manotick Karen Refugee Sponsorship Program is working with St. James Anglican Church to sponsor a family of five Karen refugees and help them settle into a new life in Canada. On March 31 - Easter Sunday - St. James minister Ross Hammond announced to the congregation the partnership that will allow the group access to the church’s five allotted sponsorship spots. “It’s a time of renewal and as it’s a new project to our church, we thought it would be a big announcement,” said Joan Bowler, who is spearheading the project. “At Easter
we get everybody in there.” The Karen people have been fighting for independence from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) since the 1940s, and as a result the country is embroiled in the world’s longest-running civil war. Today, thousands of Karen people have fled to refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, where some people have lived for decades. There is little access to proper education, healthcare or nutrition in the camps. Bowler was inspired to get involved after watching a documentary called How Can A Boy, which chronicles the story of Ottawa resident Nimrod Andrew. Andrew grew up in the refugee camps after his village was attacked by the Myanmar army, and came to Ottawa as a refugee with nothing but an education.
He now works at OCISO (Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization) helping new arrivals settle. He returns regularly to Thailand and Burma to help his people come to Canada. “I was so moved and so inspired by Nimrod Andrew,” Bowler said. “I thought, he can’t do it alone; I’m going to help them in my way.” Andrew is now a key member of the Manotick refugee sponsorship program, and will leave for Thailand at the end of April to choose a suitable family for sponsorship. In order to sponsor a refugee family, the group needs to fundraise about $30,000 to cover the family’s financial EMMA JACKSON/METROLAND needs for an entire year. This Joy Clarke and Joan Bowler are spearheading a campaign to sponsor a family of five from includes housing, food, cloth- the Karen refugee camps in Thailand. ing, and transportation costs. and the adults into an English community will also support The group must also com- ings. Having lived for years in language course. The goal is the cause. mit to helping the family get She plans to host a consettled in their new surround- the camps, many Karen refu- for at least one member of the gees have never had access to family to have a job at the end cert in Manotick sometime in electricity or running water, of the year, so the family can April and June to raise funds, and she wants to host a silent and have never taken a bus. become self-sufficient. While the church congrega- auction in May. The group will meet them To donate to the cause or at the airport and take them tion will be a huge source of to their new apartment. The donations – of money as well for more information, contact sponsorship group will help as food, furniture and clothing Bowler at 613-692-2900 or settle the children into school – Bowler said she hopes the Joy Clarke at 613-692-6486.
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Manotick News EMC - Thursday, April 4, 2013
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Emma Jackson