The Niagara News is the community newspaper of Niagara College located in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is created and produced by the students of the Niagara College Journalism program.

  • On Campus
  • Editorial & Opinion
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Off Campus
  • Sports
  • Download Issues

Breaking

Niagara College to host CCAA championships and sports panel next month

Niagara College staff saddened and angered as Venezuela descends into chaos

Black History Month offers events in Niagara region

Ford calls all student unions ‘Marxist’

Niagara College offers naloxone training to deal with overdoses

Three Welland ‘A’ hockey teams advance to OMHA quarterfinals

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations

Controversial new impaired driving laws now in effect across Canada

How to achieve proper physical and mental health

Boston: The city that wins championships


Finding hope a long way from home

0 Comment
 11 Apr 2017   Posted by Paul Dayboll

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars
Loading ... Loading ...


By IRYNA RYBCHAK
Staff writer
You can often see this young man sitting on a red chair in the farthest corner of St. Catharines Centennial Public Library. He looks like a hipster wearing slim jeans, a hooded jacket and Keddo shoes. If you come closer, you will be surprised that he is reading Yami Ahmed Forgive me in Arabic.
His name is Ameer haj Ahmed Alhaj, 19, a Syrian refugee from Aleppo whose family made a long journey to get to Canada.
Alhaj is obsessed with becoming a lawyer. His friend’s father was charged with killing a person and spent 10 years in prison.
“I know my friend, I know his father. He didn’t do that. They just were poor and couldn’t pay for a lawyer,” said Alhaj.
His dream is to be an honest and independent lawyer and have an opportunity to help people.
“I want to be a lawyer and that’s it,” said Alhaj.
He was a 13-year-old boy when his family ran from the war in Aleppo, Syria.
The civil war in Syria started March 18, 2011, when the government army opened fire on protesters who wanted democracy and freedom. Now the battle continues between opposition free Syrian army and President Assad’s government army.
“We had to leave. It was (a) really terrible night. I still remember all the shooting and people’s screaming. We just had to leave,” said Alhaj.
First, the Alhaj family moved to their village house in Marrh, close to border with Turkey. The house where the family used to relax every summer became a refuge for four months.
Older twin brothers Eyad, a lawyer, and Imad, a human resources worker, crossed the Turkish border illegally to prepare for the family to join them later.
Alhaj’s family couldn’t stay longer in the village house because the airplanes were bombing around the area almost every day. They crossed the border illegally in 2012 because the danger was following them. For seven days, the Alhaj family was hiding underground. Alhaj doesn’t remember that period of time.
Even though, by Turkish law, a person can’t work more than eight hours a day, employers force people to work 12 hours or more.
“We were working and didn’t have time to study at all,” said Alhaj.
Alhaj stayed in Turkey for four years before his family decided to move to Canada.
Yousef Haj-Ahmed, Alhaj’s uncle, used to be a biotechnology program professor at Brock University. Now he is running Norgen Biotek Corp., located in St. Catharines. He sent an invitation for all family to come to Canada in 2016.
“My family moved to Canada more for future than anything else,” said Alhaj.
Nine months later every member was working hard to help their uncle to run the business to collect money for a future house. And they did it.
Alhaj’s parents and twin brothers are still working at Norgen Biotek Corp.
“I worked for five months and then I left,” said Alhaj.
He graduated from Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School and now is taking math, chemistry, biology and English at the Lifetime Learning Centre. Then Alhaj is going to study nursing at Niagara College.
“If I will fail to get inside of law school, I will still have an opportunity to work as a nurse and help people,” said Alhaj.
David McFadden, the youth services co-ordinator for Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre, said, “My first thoughts on Ameer were on how good his English was considering the short period of time he has been in Canada. Also how appreciative he was for any support or help he received.”
Alhaj is working at Cat’s Caboose Dining Coach and Bar Car, and enjoys reading and sitting on a red chair in the farthest corner of St. Catharines Centennial Public Library.

Related

    Share This

Written by Paul Dayboll


  • Search

  • Twitter

    • RT @DaveJTheTrib: .@WPFFA_481 extricate driver of car following Hwy 140 crash, airlifted to hospital https://t.co/Z7oZOYhfja @FCWFES @Eckha…
    • RT @DaveJTheTrib: ORNGE transported one patient from Hwy 140 crash scene. Road closed between Buchner and East Main for investigation https…
    • We are happy to share that we won the multimedia production category of the Emerge Media Awards https://t.co/JBgmpyLwuZ
    • RT @AYorke_Spec: Results are tonight, should be fun. Good luck to all of the nominees! https://t.co/7cw7JJayEq
    • RT @thandojo: 1000s of protesters,many of them wearing masks, have taken to the streets to protest over the leadership of Nicolas Maduro #V…
  • Recent Posts

    • Niagara College to host CCAA championships and sports panel next month
    • Niagara College staff saddened and angered as Venezuela descends into chaos
    • Black History Month offers events in Niagara region
    • Ford calls all student unions ‘Marxist’
    • Niagara College offers naloxone training to deal with overdoses
  • Advertising

    OneHostingPlan.com






    Niagara News, Niagara College's Community News Source
    Welland, Ontario, Canada