P.E.I. students walk in solidarity with refugees
Students and staff of St. Jean Elementary School and the PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada marched along Charlottetown's sidewalks Tuesday to raise awareness about issues facing refugees.
June 20 is World Refugee Day, and walks were held in cities across Canada.
"When you hear people's stories — the horror, the stress, the fear is one of the first things we hear," said Joe Byrne with the PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada. "But when you start to listen, you also see the signs of hope, the strength, the courage, the ability to focus and keep going,"
'It was really bad'
About 800 refugees have made P.E.I. their home in recent years.
Ten-year-old Joshua Gasana's family fled Uganda for Canada two years ago.
"It was really bad. We had little food and little water. We had to make it all on our own," Gasana said. "I'd like to go back home sometime, but I also I'd also like to stay here too."
Conflict forced Ahad Hamed's family to leave left war-torn Syria for Canada three years ago to begin a new life in P.E.I.
"Life in Syria is not that safe," she said. Her father "wanted us to come here to learn and have new friends."
Hamed's mother agreed.
"No fighting here. Here is safe, very safe here I like. This is my country."
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