Posted by Jenni-Leigh Harder
“We were used to seeing the West in the movies or magazines. When we moved to Canada, we had no money, no bed and only one bedroom for the whole family. It took us a while to have money even for a bed. This was a very different reality than we though it would be.” ~dialogue participant
For many Afghan seniors, finding home in Canada involves learning to compromise. These compromises varied from having to learn to understand difference in opinion about appropriate dress with grandchildre, to learning a new language, to understanding that ideas of the ‘West’ and living in the ‘West’ were romanticized. For some, finding home took effort and time. In the end, these Afghan seniors, say that with compromise, they have found home in British Columbia.
Here are some quotes on how they define their home:
“Where we feel comfortable and in communication with our other family members. We share our GOOD and BAD times, we share or WEALTH and our POVERTY, if we are SICK or HEALTHY, they cooperate with use and we share everything. ”
“Home is emotional safety”
“I studied in a lot of countries when I was in school in the US. Canada is the first choice of mine, this is a multicultural country and this is where I look too. I look at Canada as my second hope and I hope to go back to Afghanistan but now Canada is home for me now.”
To learn more about Finding Home Seniors Dialogues and the Elder Financial Abuse Awareness Dialogue Project, read these related Blog posts:
Afghan Seniors And Police Build Bridges
Afghan Seniors Speak On Canadian Courtesy
10 red flags you might be dealing with a WOLF
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