A newcomers journey: Vincent

Vincent came to Nanaimo from Africa with the support of ROAR. He sat down with ROAR volunteer and Board Chair Horst Backè to answer a few questions about where he's come from, where he is now, and where he's headed. His answers are shared in his own words, with his permission.

Life in Nanaimo today

What do you enjoy doing on a good day in Nanaimo?

I like hiking. I also like cycling on Gabriola.

If a friend visited you in Nanaimo, what is one thing you would want to show them?

I would show them my place, the ocean and the boats.

What is something small that has made you smile this past week?

My former roommate from Africa, who was also a refugee, finally arrived here.

Before

How would you describe the life you lived before you left?

My life was not good for me and my family. We were very poor. I was unable to attend school because they had no money to pay for school fees. I started to work in a store to help my family. We were struggling to find food to survive. Everyone in the family was working but our income was not enough to avoid struggling to eat. My working made it easier to get food, but it was still not enough.

When did you first realize you would need to leave?

I realized I was gay, and the place I was living in would not accept hearing that about me. When people in my village eventually found out I was gay, I experienced a lot of extreme violence. My partner died as a result. I had to leave.

The journey

What was the path that brought you to Canada?

I travelled to another city in my home country to try to find safety. Eventually people there also found out I was gay. Of course, other people knowing I was gay also put me at risk. After that I fled to a neighbouring country to avoid attacks on me.

When I got there, I was asked to live in a refugee camp. It was extremely unsafe and difficult to be there. The weather was extremely hot, there was not enough water and the water was dirty. It was also not safe for any queer person. I left and went to a big city in the same country.

Were there people who helped you along the way?

When I was a refugee, I found friends online and in person. I had a friend who helped me to understand what people were saying online, because I couldn't understand English. I was looking for help at that time because I was homeless.

I had a gay friend who met me in person when he was a refugee himself. After he arrived in Canada he referred me to ROAR. ROAR started to financially support me. I had another refugee friend whose English was good enough to help me fill out the application to come to Canada. Without the help of these two people, it would have been very difficult to get to safety.

My sponsors talked to me regularly and helped me get through the long wait to get to Canada.

What did you carry with you, in your bag or in your heart, that mattered most?

I carried a picture of my friends and I from my home country. That gave me strength.

Where did your strength come from during the journey?

Before I met ROAR I always had hope that I would find some way to get to safety. After connecting with ROAR I had hope that I would get to Canada. I couldn't return to my home country.

Arriving in Nanaimo

What do you remember about your first days in Nanaimo?

I remember when I arrived here. The weather was very cold. I saw an ocean which was new to me. I found friends that I had never met in person until then.

Is there a moment from those early weeks that stays with you?

My friends picked me up from the Vancouver Airport and we travelled by ferry to my temporary home in Nanaimo. I finally felt safe.

What did you not know about Canada before you came?

I heard Canada is a safe country to live in. I didn't know about the ocean.

What surprised you, in a good way?

I was able to find a good job. I found new friends here.

What was harder than you expected?

Going back to school to learn English was very difficult for me. I had very little experience with school.

Life now

What does an ordinary day look like for you?

Every weekday I get up early in the morning to get ready for school. I come home for lunch and prepare food for supper which I take with me to work. Then I work in a full-time job. After work I do some assignments and go to bed.

What are you working on or learning right now?

I'm learning English through VIU. I'm still learning English to improve my speaking. After I have good English, I will study to do something else.

Where, or with whom, do you feel most yourself in Nanaimo?

I feel safe to be anywhere here in Nanaimo. I have good friends here and feel comfortable with them.

What is something you are proud of?

I'm proud to be here with my friends, to have work and to be able to speak English.

Has being here changed how you see yourself?

I have learned how to speak English. I was not sure I would find work and I did. I wasn't sure if I could make a living on my own, but now I know I can.

Looking ahead

What are you hoping for in the next year?

I hope to apply for Canadian citizenship next year.

And in five years?

I will be a citizen of Canada. I hope to buy my own place.

Is there a dream you feel comfortable putting into words?

I would love to have a car.

What Vincent wants you to know

Is there something people in Canada often misunderstand about refugees?

Refugees are not bad people. We contribute to Canadian society.

If another LGBTQI+ person were reading this from somewhere still unsafe, what would you want to say to them?

The situation they are in will eventually end. They need to be patient. It is safe in Canada.

What would you want ROAR's donors and volunteers to know?

I love ROAR because they helped me to be here. They supported me from the time I was a refugee to now.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

I'm grateful to everyone who has supported me.