Help Bring Youssef and His Daughters to Canada

Help us sponsor Youssef, Rouaa, and Diala as they resettle in Abbotsford, BC.

Names: Youssef Al-Khodor (23), Rouaa Al-Khodor (5), Diala Al-Khodor (2)

Current location: Beirut, Lebanon, Syrian refugees living without rights

Risk of returning: Arrest, forced conscription or imprisonment

Immigration status: Approved for resettlement to Canada in 2023

Fundraising Need: A one-time sum of CAD $41,920

YOUSSEF'S STORY

Youssef Al-Khodor is a writer and single father originally from Syria. He currently lives as a refugee in Beirut, Lebanon, along with his two young daughters, Rouaa and Diala. They cannot return to Syria, but they also cannot stay in Lebanon, where they have no rights and Youssef cannot legally work. Their situation is precarious and unsustainable for the long term.

Youssef is a man of great curiosity, creativity, and empathy. He is an avid learner who dreams of going to University and providing a better life for his daughters. We are on the verge of helping him realize that dream.

The family has been formally approved by Canada for resettlement in Abbotsford, British Columbia, in the first months of 2023. What is needed now is financial support to ensure that their needs are met for the first year.

To get to this point, Youssef endured many extreme hardships and great personal loss.

During the past decade of civil war in Syria, he lost both his parents to illness and four brothers to the war. His youngest brother, Fares, with whom he was particularly close, was a victim of an airstrike at age 12.

With most of his family gone, Youssef became a refugee in Lebanon. He lost his home, his rights, and his ability to travel.

He lost a marriage to the pressures of poverty and the impossibility of living in the same country. When his ex-wife disowned their children, he sold his only possessions to pay a smuggler to bring his infant daughter, Diala, over the border from Syria to Lebanon.

They spent weeks without electricity and have known periods of hunger, cold, and sickness without medicine. Youssef has maintained the daily struggle to make ends meet by juggling multiple under-the-table jobs, being unable to work legally or move about the city securely.

What he did not lose was his heart, his mind, or his insatiable desire to learn. At one point, he smuggled himself back into Syria at great risk and lived in hiding for six months in order to complete his high school Baccalaureate. He has worked assiduously to improve his English, all on his own.

Neither has he lost his desire to know who people are and why they do what they do, a curiosity he explores through his friendships, his attentive parenting, and his writing. Despite the difficult circumstances, Youssef has authored two books of poetry, a novel published by a reputable publishing house, and dozens of journalistic essays for online newspapers.

To remain curious about the world and its people in the face of tragedy and hardship reveals a strength of character and an enduring sense of hope that is worthy of support.

A HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, SPONSORED RESETTLEMENT

In late 2019, Youssef's friend, Noel Paul, began an effort to help him and his daughters resettle in Canada. Calvin Presbyterian Church in Abbotsford, BC listened to the story and signed on as an essential partner under the government's Private Sponsorship of Refugees program. The application process has taken three years, but has been fully approved. We expect Youssef and his daughters to travel to Canada sometime during the first quarter of 2023.

Youssef dreams of working legally, mastering English, and writing without fear of arrest or censorship. He wants to attend University to study Psychology and to build a career that will provide Rouaa and Diala a safe and happy childhood. He dreams of a life in which they grow up without the hardships he has endured, free to choose their path and grow into strong and independent women.

They will find a safe environment in Abbotsford, with access to education, healthcare, and a supportive community of volunteers and congregation members to help them integrate and adapt to a new society in a myriad of essential ways.

WHO WE ARE

We are a group of friends and volunteers committed to helping Youssef, Rouaa, and Diala on their journey to a new life. Sponsorship involves more than just financial support. It means providing encouragement, practical assistance, and community to Youssef and his girls. This began in 2019, was sustained through the lengthy application process, and will continue with special effort during the first 12 months after their arrival in Canada. We believe that the relationships and opportunities created in the process will extend far into the future.

Our core team consists of Noel Paul, Thomas Kim, Lorne Bartlett, Cathie Collet, Richard Hay, and Ron Richardson. Our wider circle includes the small congregation of Calvin Presbyterian Church in Abbotsford. Several other friends have been instrumental in preparing, consulting, and supporting this process in many ways, particularly Yazan Al-Saadi, Maya Gebeily, Ghina Abboud, Nadine Jaafar, and Bob Paul.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Your donation will contribute to the expenses that Youssef and the girls will incur during their first year in Canada, including:

Every dollar we raise (minus the small % fee collected by GoFundMe) will be held in trust by Calvin Presbyterian Church, and will go directly towards the support of Youssef and his daughters. He will begin receiving this financial support immediately upon his arrival in Canada, as per the guidelines established by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

TAX RECEIPTS & OFFLINE DONATIONS

For Canadian citizens, your donation is tax-deductible, as Calvin Presbyterian Church is a registered charity. For US citizens with Canadian income, your donation may also be tax-deductible.

If you would prefer to donate by cheque instead of via GoFundMe, please send a cheque with a memo ATTN: REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT payable to:

Calvin Presbyterian Church

33911 Hazelwood Avenue

Abbotsford, BC

V2S 7V2

CANADA

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Please help us bring Youssef, Rouaa, and Diala to Canada.

Donate

Every dollar moves us one step closer to allowing this thoughtful young man and his beautiful daughters an opportunity to make a new life

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Volunteer

As we prepare to welcome Youssef and his daughters to the Fraser Valley area of British Columbia, we are seeking folks to provide hands-on help. If you would like to volunteer your time or expertise once they arrive, please click the "contact" link below.

Thank you for your support.