Many of us are dismayed by the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan since the rise of the Taliban in August. A tenuous situation in the best of times, now it is clear that hard-won rights to education, health care and some form of autonomy are being extinguished.

Through one of those amazing small connections, Denman Islanders now have an opportunity to bring a refugee from Afghanistan to Canada. This young woman is in extreme danger due to both religious and domestic persecution, unable to stay in the country to which she has fled and in danger for her life if she returns to Afghanistan. She is a relative of a student who attended United World College in Germany, where he was taught by someone who now lives here on Denman.

We hope we can count on your support for this wonderful way to make a small but mighty difference, a little loving light rising up in a stormy world.

The Denman Sponsorship Group (DSG), originally working to help two refugee sisters from Afghanistan come to Canada, wish to thank our amazingly generous community here on Denman and beyond – across Canada, The United States, Europe and Japan. In eight months, you have contributed $31,000. This is astonishing and wonderful.

Recently we learned one of the sisters is now working on a move elsewhere in the hope that she may be offered a full-ride PhD scholarship. K, as we called her, is no longer coming to Denman. We are happy for her and wish her well. 

Her sister, who for safety reasons we call S, is still very eager to pursue a future here with us. All her paperwork has been submitted and now we all wait for the slow process of the Canadian government to unfold. Her possible arrival date is an estimate as the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) grapples with the various emergency situations for refugees around the world. The timeline for her arrival is now indicated as anywhere from 6 to18 months. In the meantime, S is teaching in a refugee school and practicing her English. The DSG co-chairs, Joni and Kim, recently spoke to her through Zoom.

Since we are now sponsoring one person instead of two we have almost reached the amount needed to support S for one year. After the proceeds from the quilt raffle and the Jensen/Forsyth art sale on Aug 6 and 7 at the Arts Centre (details below) are tallied up, we are confident we will have reached our minimum goal of $32,500. No new fundraisers will be needed at this time. Once S arrives, we can re-assess her particular needs.

Through individual donations and various fundraisers we are very close to our goal of helping a woman halfway around the world come safely to our island home. We are heartened and humbled by the outpouring of donations and goodwill. Thank you all.

The DSG welcomes all help and ideas for making S feel safe and at home on Denman Island. Once we have raised the initial funds, we will be forming committees to work on everything from outfitting a rental space, to managing transportation issues to rest and relaxation outings. We hope to include as many islanders as possible in this big world, local joy project.

The resettlement of refugees is regulated by the federal government through Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). There are a number of ways in which refugees are sponsored including both private groups and government assisted sponsorships. We have chosen to work through a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) who is vetted by the federal government.

Our SAH is The Anglican Diocese of Vancouver Island led by Tony Davis, the diocesan Refugee Coordinator (North) with years of experience in this important field. The Denman Sponsorship Group is a constituent group of the SAH, meaning the on-the-ground people for getting the refugees here and settled. All our steering committee members have gone through criminal record checks and been vetted and approved by the SAH. This is necessary and important for anyone dealing with vulnerable people.

Constituent groups are responsible for supporting their people for one year from the date of their arrival. This includes accommodation, utilities, clothing, food, transportation, and anything else deemed a reasonable necessity for everyday living. We are responsible for helping them access medical and dental services, language classes, job training, therapy sessions, and schooling. These services are often offered through local cultural or refugee associations.

In order to signal we are capable and ready to proceed, we are required to raise $23,500 of the funding we will need to support the sisters. Some of the funding for the rest of the year-long support can be offered through in-kind donations such as accommodations, food services, furniture and more. Along with the day to day needs of living, we are hoping the community will join us as we offer a safe haven, emotional support and friendship.