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.”
