Eight months after arriving in Canada, the former refugee family placed in a Qualicum Beach home has slowly integrated themselves into the community.
Qualicum Refugee Sponsorship Group chair Carol Doering spoke at Monday’s Qualicum Beach council meeting about the family’s first few months in their new country.
The family arrived in mid-July of last year and Doering said four of the five children have been enrolled in local schools since September 2016 with the youngest, Eh Nyaw Paw, in pre-school.
Doering said learning the English language is the most important part of the family’s daily lives.
“Their language (skills) have certainly increased since they’ve been here and certainly in the last couple of months, they’re speaking a lot more English and speaking much better with us,” Doering said.
She said the language is more important than anything else for them to be successful, especially since the sponsorship group’s financial help is done at the end of July this year.
Since moving to Qualicum Beach, Doering said, the father, Ah Dee, has been working part-time at Demxx Deconstruction in Coombs and mother Ta Paut Mu has been working part-time, house-cleaning.
P’yo Yo, the oldest child, has been working part-time after school at Arrowsmith Automotive.
Doering said the sponsorship group has raised more that $58,000 and they expect to have some of that money left over for the family at the end of the sponsorship, but she expects it will still be helping in non-financial ways such as driving and organizing events for the family.
Knox United Church also managed to pay off the family’s travel loan which was close to $10,000.
Doering also said people within the community donated about 10 million Q Points from Quality Foods, which have been converted into Rec Bucks for the RDN.
The family has been living in a seven-bedroom, town-owned home in Qualicum Beach, which is within walking distance of the Village Neighbourhood.
After Doering’s presentation, Coun. Neil Horner asked if they had any suggestions for how the town could help after the sponsorship ends. Horner said he wants the family to succeed and do well and be happy.
Doering said the two biggest concerns are housing and transportation since they have the house only until the end of July and the family is unable to drive themselves anywhere.
Mayor Teunis Westbroek said council will work with staff so there is a plan in place for the family before the end of July .
The next regular council meeting is April 10 at 7 p.m.