South Sudanese family has resettled in Summerland after 18 years in a refugee camp

A family of refugees finally has a place to call home in Summerland after 18 years living at a camp in Kenya.

The Ayuen family was sponsored by the Summerland Refugee Sponsorship Group, which hoped to bring them over by the end of 2019. Plans were initially delayed because of bureaucracy in Africa, and further stalled by COVID.

The family initially fled from Sudan as it was being ravaged by war and violence. That nation has since splintered into two separate countries, Sudan and South Sudan. Despite fleeing before the latter was established, they identify as being from South Sudan.

“I am happy to now be in Canada,” Ajah, the single mother of the family, said in a press release.

“I am happy all my children are safe and will be able to go to school. When I go to bed at night, I am happy. When I wake up in the morning, I am happy.”

Six of Ajah's seven children were born in the refugee camp.

After the Ayuens arrived in Canada on Nov. 11 — following nearly two decades in the confines of a refugee camp — they had to quarantine at home for another two weeks.

But even while they were stuck at home, adjusting to life in Canada had already begun when they had to figure out how their appliances function. That was a steep learning curve, according to Doug Holmes, chairperson of the sponsorship group.

“It’s a huge adjustment for sure but they knew they were never going back to South Sudan,” he said. 

When the family learned which country they would be moving to, they were excited about the education they would be receiving here.

“We were happy when the United Nations said we were going to Canada because we knew Canada is the best place for school,” 16-year-old Yar said in the release.

Yar will be attending Summerland Secondary School. Her older siblings, 20-year-old Amer and 18-year-old Angeth will begin classes at Okanagan College in January. Mach, who’s 13, will be starting at Summerland Middle School, and 9-year-old Herjok and 7-year-old Abuk will be attending Giant’s Head Elementary.

Prior to their arrival in Canada, the Ayuens were living in a hut at the Kakuma refugee camp, which is administered by the United Nations. Working in Kenya was not permitted for refugees.

“Kenya sees them taking employment away from Kenyans," Holmes said. “Opportunities are pretty bleak in the camp.”

Holmes recently had a Zoom call with the Ayuen family, and said they’ve enjoyed walking downtown and discovering the community despite facing temperatures lower than anything they have ever experienced.

The family had never seen a snowfall until the week after they arrived.

“With the amount we’ve gotten over the past few days – it’s an amazing amount of snow for us, so I can’t imagine what they think of it,” he said.

But they have been supplied with gear like winter jackets and snow pants to keep them warm outdoors.

For one year after their arrival, the sponsorship group is responsible for helping the family financially and in settling in.

In order to support a family of their size, around $40,000 is needed for travel and living costs.

Anybody wishing to help out can do so through the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan - Similkameen.

A significant donation of $6,500 was made by the South Okanagan chapter of 100 Women Who Care.

The Ayuens are the fourth family of refugees to arrive in Summerland since the Summerland Refugee Sponsorship Group formed in 2015, when the Syrian Civil War caused a large influx in refugees.

The other sponsored families arrived from Syria and Eritrea.

Holmes said news of the Ayuen family resettlement was met with an “overwhelmingly positive response from the community,” just like the three families that came before.