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Disabled but not Despondent An Iraqi Immigrant Keeps his Spirits High as a Newcomer in Canada
7-26-2017
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Every immigrant in Canada has a story to tell. For Amaan Ali, it all started at a young age in a northwestern city of Iraq. Like any kid his age, Amaan had little to worry about. His days were spent playing with his friends.
One morning, Amaan woke up with high fever and an excruciating pain in both his legs. Seeing his condition, Amaan’s father didn’t wait long. He picked Amaan up and carried him on his back to the makeshift clinic two miles away. The doctor diagnosed Amaan with polio and told his father that Amaan’s legs are paralysed because he was never given polio vaccine.
The doctor said Amaan would never walk again.
Over the years, Amaan learned more than just walking on crutches. He learned how to work around his disability and run the family business. He learned how to stand firm against all odds to earn a livelihood for his wife and three kids.
Just when things started to look up for Amaan and his family, Iraq was invaded. The radio blasted news of civilians being killed across the country. The bombs spared very few schools, the rockets avoided very few hospitals. Very few buildings stayed erect.
The warring parties changed but the war raged on. As the years went by, Amaan somehow managed to drown out the noise of bombs falling on his city but he wasn’t able to quiet the noise in his head. He feared losing his wife to a bullet. He feared losing his son to a landmine. He feared losing his daughters to shrapnel.
When Amaan heard about Canada accepting Iraqi refugees, the decision to emigrate was a no-brainer. What’s more, he heard that people with disabilities receive a lot of support from the government. With this hope, Amaan went through the application process. He had a plan. He would first move to Canada and find a job. Once he settles down and earns an income, he would sponsor his wife and kids.
In September 2016, the Canadian government accepted Amaan Ali’s application to resettle in Vancouver, British Columbia. Besides giving Amaan permanent residence, Canada’s refugee program also paid for his food, shelter and other necessities.
At first, Amaan lived in the Salvation Army Belkin House downtown Vancouver but after a few months he found a small subsidized studio in Vancouver and moved in right away. Due to his disability, he had a very hard time getting around the city. When the Muslim Food Bank & Community Services caseworker, Yusuf Khan, took up Amaan’s case, he knew getting Amaan a reliable means of transportation will be life-changing. Yusuf helped Amaan sign up for HandyDART, an affordable door-to-door shared ride service meant for people with disabilities.
Thanks to Yusuf’s help, Amaan could now comfortably commute to attend his English classes, see his doctor and get food from the Muslim Food Bank.
“I could see the happiness in his eyes. It gave him freedom because without that he was stuck in his room.” Yusuf said. Yusuf saw that despite his difficult circumstances, a smile always lit up Amaan’s face and he was a cheerful man. One of the things that made Amaan very happy was that none of his kids are disabled. When asked about his kids’ health, Amaan proclaimed, “They are all very healthy!” with great pride.
Yusuf visited Amaan’s studio from time to time and brought food and clothing for him. Though Yusuf wanted to be a friend to Amaan, he was cautious about bringing up Amaan’s family while conversing with him because Amaan would be overcome with emotions.
“Talking about his family touches him a lot and reminds him of them.,” Yusuf said. “I can see his expressions change each time they come up.”
Yusuf understood what Amaan was going through. He himself immigrated to Canada as an Afghan refugee. Yusuf was young when he fled the war in Afghanistan with his family. As new immigrants, Yusuf and his family didn’t know their way around their new hometown, that’s when a few good Samaritans stepped in. They helped Yusuf and his family take their first steps in their new journey in Canada. Yusuf is grateful for the help his family was provided which is why he volunteers for the Muslim Food Bank now.
“I will never forget the support we received and always wanted to repay that somehow,” Yusuf asserts. “With the Muslim Food Bank, I got that chance.”
Amaan has been in Canada for over a year and a half now. He takes the HandyDART bus every day to attend English classes. Once he becomes a bit more fluent, he will look for a job. Finding a job will mean a great deal to Amaan. It will mean getting his family out of a war zone. It will mean being reunited with his wife and three kids.
These are real stories where our volunteers have an impact on members of our community helping them progress in their lives. InshaAllah next week we will bring you another story. Please join us to have a purpose in your life to make a difference in the lives of your brothers and sisters by coming to our events and registering as a volunteer or donating to your organization, the Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society (usually referred to as Muslim Food Bank) at www.muslimfoodbank.com/donate. Our email is contact@muslimfoodbank.com and telephone number is 1-866-824-2525.
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