Adam Bramburger
Beaver Staff
A local committee working to bring three more Congolese refugees to Napanee is hoping to build on a successful fundraising kick-off by encouraging others to join their campaign.
Five years ago, members of St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church and St. Patrick’s Catholic Church joined to bring eight refugees — the Kashira family and others who had grown to be part of their family — to town from the war-stricken African nation. Now, efforts have been rejuvenated to bring additional family members to Canada.
On Oct. 27, a broad-based group including members of those churches and other interested individuals rekindled those efforts by packing the Strathcona Paper Centre’s Lafarge Hall for a fundraising dinner that brought in more than $3,000. It is their hope that leadership will spur on others to join the effort in the weeks ahead.
“Our goal as a committee was to raise $30,000. Our event Friday was a great start to that. It’s a fundraising kickoff, we don’t want people to think it’s done and we don’t need any more money,” said committee member Anne Alkenbrack.
Fellow member Marie Stebelsky agreed, stating it was important to raise awareness.
“What I think is lovely is how the hospital’s foundation gets a cheque from here, there, and everywhere because people recognize the good work the hospital is doing,” she said. “It would be cool if people recognized the good work this committee is doing to improve the lives of people in horrible, traumatized situations and do a little fundraiser and continue. It doesn’t need to be something that we have initiated.”
In some respects, this latest drive is proof the original resettlement effort has made a difference in people’s lives. Kitwana Shiara, one of the first refugees to arrive, was able to bring his wife Naomi over. Their son, Graig, was born in Canada. Now, Naomi’s sister Julienne is at the top of the committee’s list for relocation.
Another member of that original group, Miriam Kashira, is encouraging the group to bring over her 16-year-old niece Suzanne and her 21-year-old nephew Dieumerci.
Rev. David Smith, formerly of St. Mary Magdalene, kept in contact and rejuvenated the committee to help with that.
Kevin Alkenbrack, another member of the committee who was involved when the Kashira family arrived, said the experience was a life-changing one for his family as well as they helped welcome people who have been through much.
He said life in Napanee poses a sharp contrast from what the refugees are used. Sometimes, as he noted Ben Kashira told him, they don’t know if they’ll wake up in the morning.
“He used to say ‘Your life expectancy is one night. They come around and kill you at night. Every time you wake up, you’re so thankful.’”
While many may think of the Middle East when thinking of an area where people are in danger and in need of relocation, Kevin Alkenbrack continued that things are also not great in Africa.
“The Congo is part of the horn of Africa. These rebels are the original rebels that were part of the Rwandan genocide. That same force continues to go around. They take all the girls and boys and make child soldiers out of them. They keep going in a circle. When they come to your community, they burn everything down, kill all the men, take all the children and rape all the women. It’s not human.”
The paperwork is already submitted to relocate the three refugees through Canada’s immigration system, which offers freedom for groups like the Ontario Anglican diocese’s Doors program to sponsor applicants. The local group could receive a phone call any day that their refugees have plane tickets and they’re coming.
The committee must demonstrate it has $10,000 per person to support refugees through their first year. Necessities like transportation, rent, food, medical needs, and English education must be provided. The goal is to get refugees integrated into the community and able to support themselves.
The committee members thanked guest speaker Rev. Rod McNeil, who was at St. Patrick’s when the original committee was formed and musicians Kim Pollard, Sam and Emma McNichols, and the Shout Sister Choir for giving their time for the fundraiser. They also appreciated the gracious support of donors and the staff at J.J. O’Neill Catholic School who decorated the hall and helped prepare for the meal as well as auction donors.
Anyone interested in helping can call Kevin Alkenbrack at 613-305-1314.