PHOTO – NICK PROCAYLO / VANCOUVER SUN
Amjad Ktifan is the proud father of twins. The twins are named Rinad and Mohammad
LEVEL 2
2016 is a year of new beginnings for many Syrian families in Canada.
The Ktifan family is from Syria. They arrived in Vancouver on January 7, 2016.
Amjad and Wadaa Ktifan left Syria with their children. They fled to Jordan. Now they are in Canada. They are refugees.
New babies
On February 29 they gave birth to twins in Surrey Memorial Hospital. Each of the twins weighed five and a half pounds.
The twins were two weeks early. They are both healthy. The family is grateful for the care they received at the hospital.
Read the story and do the exercise.
The Ktifan family needs a bigger home
The Ktifan family is living in a two-bedroom basement apartment in Delta. The apartment is too small for this family of seven.
The twins have an 11-year old brother and two sisters aged 9 and 10.
The Ktifan’s hope to find a larger home in the Guildford neighborhood. Many Syrian families already live in Guildford.
Amjad Ktifan says, “Canada is a safe country.” Ktifan says he wants to get back to work and enjoy watching his children grow up in Canada.
Others need homes too
Many other Syrian refugee families are looking for homes. They need homes large enough for their families. They need homes they can afford.
PHOTO – ARLEN REDEKOP / VANCOUVER SUN
The Sua’flan family is looking for a home.
The Sua’Ifan family
The Sua’flan family is ready to settle into a new home.
It has been hard for the Sua’flan family to find a home. The places are too small. Some landlords don’t want a family of nine. The rent is more than they can pay.
As of February they were still looking.
PHOTO – RIC ERNST / VANCOUVER SUN
The Al-Gburi family spent two years in a Turkish
refugee camp. Now they live in Surrey.
The Al-Gburi family
The Al-Gburi family were lucky. A church group in Surrey sponsored them to come to Canada.
The church group found a three-bedroom half-duplex in White Rock. Their new home is near a school for the six children.
Facts
Between Nov. 2015 and Feb. 2016…
- 18,643 Syrian refugees arrived in Canada CKNW
- 1053 Syrian refugees arrved in British Columbia Globe News
Vocabulary
Refugee = ref·u·gee or ref-yoo-jee
Someone forced to leave their country because of danger.
Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort
For more information about refugees, click on these links:
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Immigrant Services Society of B.C. (ISS)
Learn more about Welcome BC from these videos: