Brothers Ahmad and Majd were 14 and 16 when war overtook their home in 2011. They remember how gunshots and bombs continuously disturbed the quiet of the night. One brother says, “The fighting started in the centre and then spread everywhere, like COVID.”
To escape the violence, the brothers and their family fled to another country in late 2012. They explain, “It was the only place that our passport would let us go.” Ongoing conflict forced the family to move repeatedly before they eventually relocated to the United Arab Emirates in 2018.
A Life of Uncertainty and Movement
Ahmad and Majd’s story reflects the experience of many people around the world who are displaced by war and persecution. Often, families are forced into years of uncertainty—moving from place to place in search of safety, stability, and the chance to rebuild their lives. Along the way, they experience loss, separation, and the constant challenge of starting over.
For Ahmad and Majd, life in the United Arab Emirates did not provide a lasting solution. Their situation remained precarious, and their family was eventually forced to separate. Their parents and younger brother returned to their home country, but Ahmad and Majd could not go with them. If the brothers returned, they would be required to serve in the military. With few options remaining, they turned to the United Nations (UN) and asked for help.
Finding a Path to Canada
Anita Booy is a member of Sonlight Christian Reformed Church in Regina, Saskatchewan. She serves on the church’s refugee sponsorship committee and has been involved in sponsorship since 2013. As the daughter of immigrant parents who were grateful for the opportunity to start life anew in Canada, Anita felt compelled to become involved. She says, “I tell as many people who want to sponsor go for it. It is a blessing to help [refugees] come [to Canada] and listen to the experiences they have.”
Sonlight Christian Reformed Church privately sponsored Ahmad and Majd. After meeting with the UN, the brothers explain, “The [UN] told us we could go to Canada, Australia, or Britain… We chose Canada because we heard that the people were kind. We learned about Canada when we were young, so we knew a little bit about Canada.”
After the UN identified Ahmad and Majd as vulnerable, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) approved them through the Blended Visa Office‑Referred (BVOR) Program. Through this program, refugees are matched with private sponsors for resettlement to Canada, with financial responsibility shared between the Government of Canada and sponsoring groups for one year. World Renew’s Refugee Sponsorship and Resettlement Program supports and guides private sponsors—like Sonlight Christian Reformed Church—as they walk alongside refugees during their first year of settlement.
Ahmad and Majd arrived in Canada in July 2019. They say, “We felt happy, our sponsors put a smile on our face.”
Anita says there is much to smile about in refugee sponsorship. When language barriers arise, she explains, “Google translate is a wonderful thing. Trying to communicate and not being able to for some things and ending up laughing because we both are having trouble saying what we want is also a blessing.” These shared moments help form meaningful relationships that often last well beyond the sponsorship year. As Anita adds, “We have kept in contact with our families.”
Today, Ahmad and Majd are building their lives in Canada. Ahmad is completing an English as a Second Language (ESL) program and dreams of getting married, attending university, and becoming a lawyer. Majd looks ahead with hope, longing for the day he can welcome his parents and younger brother to his new home.
