Sandra Dunham
[Recently, Janalee Morris of RMA and I attended BAHACon in Sarnia. We were delighted to share this picture of the two of us with Omer.]
The road to Canada is not an easy one – no doubt, if you’ve been following Omer’s story, you will agree. Even in this final stage however, the path remains complicated.
Omer must have his visa in hand – we had anticipated this would be the case by now. His sponsors have once again asked that their MP find out more about the situation. Then Omer can pay his overstay fees (thanks to everyone who donated!) Then he must await a letter confirming the payment before he can purchase his airline ticket to Calgary.
His sponsors, members of Rocky Mountain Atheists (RMA), in Calgary, are following another refugee in Nepal, who is in the same situation as Omer but about a week ahead of him.
Omer is fortunate to have a wonderful group of people waiting for him in Calgary. Once he arrives, they will provide him with an apartment and assistance in obtaining a social insurance card, learning to navigate the city, adjusting to Canadian culture and finding work. However, more importantly, they will provide him with support. Members of RMA have been in regular contact with Omer for more than 5 years. It will be wonderful for them to finally meet face to face.
Thanks for all your work on this. Please keep the updates coming. His story and that of his “rescuers” is inspiring.
It will be great to finally have Omer in Canada. Thanks for the update, Janalee and Sandra.