10 powerful photos of Syrian refugees living across Canada
Canada has taken in more than 40,000 Syrian refugees since Nov. 2015, the initiative burned into Canadians’ brains by the iconic image of Justin Trudeau welcoming families at the airport. But a year and half later, shots of these newcomers are harder to come by. A photography project from the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) called From Far and Wide set out to see how some of the refugees are faring now, focusing on a handful of communities across the country.
Annie Sakkab, a Palestinian-Canadian photographer based in Toronto, shot the families over the course of four months last year. She shares 10 of the most memorable moments here.
UNHCR: From Far and Wide
Elaine Hofer helps Najwa Hussein take care of her newborn daughter Janna in Brandon, Man.
“[Elaine] went to Najwa’s house to help with the baby, and I saw both of them looking the same, dressed the same… I loved that connection between them. The fact that both of them are from two different parts of the world, but they have a lot of things in common — even in the way that they’re dressed. I found that quite compelling.”
Toufic Al Zhouri (left) and Rabiaa Al Soufi have created an upholstery business in Antigonish, N.S.
“This couple knew each other since they were in their early 20s. When they both looked at each other and smiled, you could see a lot of love and respect — I love this moment.”
Paulina Eguiguren is a sponsor in Victoria, B.C.
“Paulina is a refugee from Ecuador, and here she was explaining why she’s helping Syrian refugees — it was very inspiring. Her face was just so beautiful.”
Bronwen Cooke (far left), Majd Al Zhouri, Ranim Al Zhouri, Norine Verberg, Lucille Harper, Rabiaa Al Soufi, Cindy Murphy, Aghyad Al Zhouri and Toufic Al Zhouri pose for a portrait in Antigonish, N.S.
“When you’re working with marginalized people and trying to give them support, as long as you treat people with respect — like feeling that you are empowering them rather than helping them — that makes a big difference. I think that’s what happened here.”
The Ayash children play along the water, close to their home in Lunenburg, N.S.
“This picture is about moving forward, about making something out of what you have. The way they’re charging forward spoke to me.”
Thuy Nguyen and Narjes Nouman spend time at a beach in downtown Toronto.
“Thuy is a Vietnamese refugee who came to Canada in the ’70s and now serves as a mentor to Narjes. She was the same age as Narjes when she first arrived: 14.”
Fatmeh Alkrad prepares dinner at her home in Lunenburg, N.S.
“This image [made] about the way Middle Eastern women are portrayed — the veil, the kitchen, cooking — it plays with all of the stereotypes.”
Tanna Edwards welcomes the Eshadi family into her home for an afternoon get together
“[Tanna and her husband Joe] are volunteering their time, helping this family by taking them to the bank, school, shopping and socializing. They weren’t able to give money to sponsor a refugee, but they were able to give their time. And I think that’s very important.”
Husam Eshadi, now in Peterborough, Ont., shows a photo of his wife Noura after fleeing their home in Syria.
“He’s showing me his wife working on a farm in Turkey. He was talking about how hard it was there because they were working illegally. They’re given really little money, and they’re working 10 to 11 hours a day for $5.”
David Friendly, lead of a private sponsorship group, during a game of football at the Ayash home in Lunenburg, N.S.
“While [the] were playing, one started crying, and the first person he went to was David. He didn’t go to his father; he didn’t go to his brother; he didn’t go to his sister. He just went [to] and started crying, and immediately David start comforting him. I loved seeing that.”
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Sadiya Ansari is the author of In Exile: Rapture, Reunion, and My Grandmother’s Secret Life.
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