In the past 3 months, I have fundraised alone $64000. I am searching for a group of 5 Canadian sponsors for a refugee who was put in offshore island nation detention centres for 7 years by the Australian government that I alone have fundraised $20000 each to apply to Canada for asylum for 3 and now completing my 4th fundraiser.
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I am Jill Horton, a Canadian Australian Social Worker in Port Macquarie NSW who has been supporting refugee friends on Manus, Nauru and in detention for the past 5 years.
After a trip I made to Manus in 2017, I started working with Stephen Watt, an amazing man in Toronto who has sponsored over 100 refugees, and we worked together for him to sponsor refugees from Manus to Canada.
The first offshore man Stephen Watt sponsored, Amir Sahragard who was on Manus arrived in Toronto a year ago which was amazing for our project. He was medevaced to Brisbane last year and flew directly with agreement from the Australian government to go to Canada. Amir just spent his first Canadian Thanksgiving and his first anniversary in Toronto Canada.
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After 7 years of these men suffering, I have taken on a project to fundraise for a few refugees with official Refugee Status Determination (that Canada accepts) from different cultures, SINGLE, NO children who are in Australian detention to apply for a Group of 5 to Canada.
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I fundraise over $20000 in Australia for each man and have the refugees application prepared, organise English teachers for each refugee, provide ongoing emotional support and then it is edited by Stephen Watt.
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I am responsible for finding Groups of 5 in Canada
THIS is why I am emailing you today.
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Stephen Watt in Toronto who has sponsored many refugees has graciously agreed to support the new sponsors to go through the sponsorship journey, submit the application and the paperwork and guide them in resettlement on arrival possibly in 2 years.
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There are 300+ refugees waiting in a register to apply for Canada so I feel compelled to help a few one at a time as 7 years is far too long to wait in a huge queue that doesn't guarantee all their applications will be submitted to Canada.
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As a sponsoring group
of 5, you together would:
Provide basic financial support and settlement assistance including:
Housing (shared accommodation is fine); health care; drivers licence,
education; emotional support and dealing with refugee trauma.
Complete a detailed settlement plan outlining settlement arrangements put in
place as well as their ability and commitment to support the sponsored refugee
for the sponsorship period, which is usually 12 months.
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Shan is my first fundraiser I completed and secured a group of 11 Quaker sponsors for him in Coldstream/London Ontario. Shan's sponsors are now completing the paperwork with Stephen's help and support as he has done hundreds of applications. This offer from Stephen to finalise each asylum application and submit it is for all sponsors who are sponsoring my fundraised refugees.
For poet and artist Jalal who was on Nauru, I raised over $20000 in less than one week so his fundraiser is finished and now I have just secured his 5 Canadian sponsors in Calgary Alberta. AMAZING!
I have linked Jalal recently to a publisher who worked with Behrouz Boochani so I hope that she will start to publish his poems and art. Jalal has an English teacher to get him ready to go to university when he arrives in Calgary, Alberta Canada.
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Marley is 27 and from Sudan and Single and NO children and speaks Arabic and English. Marley has no complex health needs. He simply wants to live a normal, peaceful life and follow his dream as a Social Worker. His pseudonym name Marley comes from his love for music including the epic Bob Marley ‘King of Reggae’, Hip Hop and Arabic. He studied a Bachelor of Media but would love to study Social Work at University. Marley believes he can help other refugees and people experiencing mental health issues with his lived experience. And of course, he wants to play football again and possibly see his team FC Barcelona. A big dream is to reunite with 2 of his siblings in France. Marley has so much to offer the world; he just needs the chance to live as a free man. If you want to have contact with Marley please ask me. Marley has started his private English classes getting him ready to start studying Social Work in university in Canada.
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Habibi is Single, no children and from Iraq and worked 6 years in the Military with the US army out of that duty to support his family. He was working to allow the US to withdraw from occupation in Iraq and give his country peace and harmony but became a target by militias. He is optimistic, generous, courageous, enthusiastic and has a romantic heart. Habibi is friends with everyone. He’s ready to work hard and believes he can do anything that he tries by putting in the hard yards. He wants to live a normal, peaceful life where he can work and marry. As an Arabic speaker, he has spent his time in detention teaching himself and perfecting his English and staying well, fit and active. He loves running, pushups, playing football and swimming. His Father, a teacher of sport, taught him to swim in Iraq. He loves Real Madrid and excels playing football. He loves Arabic, romantic Habibi and English music. Habibi really misses his family and waits for the day to see them again. He’s looking forward to sharing with his family beautiful Arabic food and fighting about if FC Barcelona or Real Madrid is better. After 7 over years of suffering and waiting for freedom and now in detention in Australia, Habibi deserves to heal and flourish in Canada. He’s ready to work hard for Canada. Habibi has already started his private English classes getting ready to hit the ground running in Canada looking for a job on arrival.
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Please if you can ask Canadians to be part of a Group of 5 and they can speak to Stephen in Toronto about the program and what is expected of them. Generally the most difficult part is raising $16500 CAD for each person for their first year of expenses in Canada but I am fully responsible and committed to fundraising over $20000 for their first year in Canada.
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See Stephen's Northern Lights sponsorship guide to Canada for more details and my attached document. Each group of 5's main job is resettlement on their arrival for their first year. Amir was processed in 15 months but each case goes at a different speed. During the processing wait, the 5 sponsors can offer emotional support and teach the refugee more about Canada and share the way of life there.
Sponsors Responsibilities
POST-ARRIVAL DUTIES
The sponsoring group has a set of responsibilities related to meeting the basic settlement needs of sponsored refugees upon their arrival in Canada. These duties are:
Lodging
Provide suitable accommodation, basic furniture, and other household essentials.
Care
Provide food, clothing, local transportation costs and other basic necessities of life.
Settlement Assistance and Support
• Assist in the completion of required forms including health insurance, social insurance, child tax benefits registrations, etc.;
• opening a bank account;
• facilitating access to English or French language classes;
• understand the rights and responsibilities of permanent residents;
• facilitating access to employment;
• facilitating access to community support groups, settlement services, and other resources in the community;
• locating and assisting in accessing a family physician and dentist; and supporting empowerment and independence.
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I look forward to hearing if your relatives or friends would be able to sponsor one of these men as they both deserve freedom after 7 years.
Thank you for your support and care
Thank you for your support and care
Peace and Warm Regards
Jill Horton BSW
Private Practitioner Social Worker
