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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-12-02, Page 22 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, December 2, 2015 It's official, the Ethiopian refugee family is moving to Seaforth Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor The monumental photo of the Syrian three-year-old Alan Kurdi washed up on the shorelines gen- erated a "lightning rod" and opened the eyes of the public in the universal refugee crisis said Brian Melady. It's believed this is why Seaforth is expected to be welcom- ing an Ethiopian migrant family before the holidays. The Ethiopian's documents were stamped November 10, coin- cidently the same day as what's left of the Kurdi's relatives was accepted. Both families will be fast -tracked to Canadian soil, Mel- ady is convinced the refugee vic- tory for Huron East is partly because of the photograph of the drowned boy which captivated the world. "It's a lightening rod for sure, 3,000 people are dying in the [sic] Mediterranean Sea each year, but it's that one image that everyone relates to," stated Mel- ady in the kitchen of the house he decided to purchase and fix up for the Ethiopian family to dwell. To help with the humanitarian effort, the Mennonite Central Committee is the organization that's partnering with Melady and his significant other Vicki Powers. From seesaw conversa- tions the couple has had with MCC, the family of five is expected to be here sooner than Christmas. When the flights are booked and the official date is known, the immigration minister will contact the duo 10 days before arrival. Cur- rently the mother Ambiya, 33, and her four children Ahmed, 9, Yusuf, 7, Fatuma, 5, and Sayida, 3, are housed in one of the 20 refugee camps provided by Ethiopia, a place they've called home for the past four years. Upon arrival, Melady said they will be greeted with a couple trans- lators because at this instant it's not known what language they speak. In the profile given about the Ethi- opian family, the only dialect pro- vided is their secondary, which is Afar. "So we are going to be showing up at the airport with translators, we call them translators, but they are basically refugees or immi- grants that native tongue;" Melady said. In addition to their appear- ance in their new town of Sea - forth, it's looking like the family will have everything they need waiting for them. With the Mel- ady-Powers Seaforth Refugee Sponsorship Group of 200 help- ing hands from around the region working around the clock, the goal of providing all the necessities is already near completion. "Once the house is painted, we will be able to furnish this house to 90-95 per cent, not only having enough donations to fill up one house, I think we could have filled up two houses," Melady told the Exposi- tor November 29. Dene' Coombs from Seaforth said the amount of support through donations is "overwhelm- ing." She and her husband offered their time to help paint the house that the family will be living in, along with creating a list of what they will need. "We have a good amount once they get here and then we can get them a little more, specifically once we know their sizes. Then we can (donate) more stuff if they put on weight," Coombs explained, after taking a break from painting. St. James Catholic Elementary School has also contributed to this charitable cause. Some of the students created a banner that says "Welcome to Canada" which is presently on the front window of the Ethiopian's soon to be home. Right now all except the youngest, who is not of age for school yet, is pre -registered at SJCAS. If anybody would like to donate food, clothing, money or is curious about how to help, contact Melady at 519-525-7133. There will also be a spaghetti dinner at the Bethel Bible Church on December 3 with all proceeds going towards the family. Santa Says: "Give Seaforth Huron Expositor as a gift this year": CaII Or Mail in Your Subscription Seaforth Huron Expositor 8 Main Street, P.O. Box 69 Seaforth, ON NOK 1 WO 519-527-0240 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com SNIFF OUTA GREAT DEAL... Or find a new friend... All by looking in the Classifieds! Shaun Gregory Brian Melady and Vicki Powers stand in front of the home in Seaforth that will be donated rent-free for the first 1-2 years to an Ethiopian refugee family. Dene Coombs painting inside the home where the refugee family will stay. Contributed Photo A banner created by students from St. James Catholic Elementary School. Courtesy of the National Post A paramilitary police officer carries the lifeless body of Alan Kurdi who drowned with his mother and brother. This photo is believed to have created instrumental awareness for the global refugee crises.