The Guardian Charlottetown
Thursday, June 30, 2016
By: Jim Day
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These four young Somali girls were among the 72 P.E.I. residents from 19 different countries who were sworn in as new Canadian citizens during a ceremony in Charlottetown this week. Guardian photo by Jim Day
Issack Aden welcomed coming to Canada five years ago, leaving behind the harsh life of a refugee camp in Kenya.
On Tuesday, he gleefully embraced his new status as a Canadian citizen.
“To me it’s like a dream come true,’’ says Aden, 30, who lives in P.E.I. with his wife, Jaelo Abbi, the couple’s son Khadar, 6, and their daughter Faisa, 4.
“I can travel freely, wherever I want.’’
For 18 years, Aden was stuck in a refugee camp in Kenya after leaving his homeland of Somalia at the age of four.
Food rations were pitiful.
Sanitation was abysmal.
Water was always in short supply.
“It was really very difficult,’’ he says.
In 2011, he came to P.E.I. with his wife and son (daughter Faisa is Island born). His uncle Iprahim Maalin and Maalin’s wife Alaso brought their five children.
Nine of the 11 Somalis were granted their citizenship Tuesday. Two need work on their English.
The Somalis were among 72 P.E.I. residents from 19 countries sworn in as new Canadian citizens during a ceremony at Confederation Centre of the Arts Tuesday afternoon.
A morning ceremony saw 40 others from 12 different countries get the nod.
Twenty-eight new Canadians were also sworn in Sunday at the 10th annual DiverseCity Festival in Charlottetown.
Somali Iprahim Maalin, 85, was sworn in as a Canadian citizen Tuesday during a ceremony in Charlottetown. Maalin came to P.E.I. five years ago with his wife and five children after living in a refugee camp in Kenya for many years. Guardian photo by Jim Day
Lt.-Gov. Frank Lewis urged the new citizens to participate fully in Canadian society.
“I wish you a P.E.I. experience that causes you and generations after you to stay here and build bigger and better,’’ he added.
“Canada is better because of immigration, because of diversity, because of you.’’
In applauding the successful efforts to earn citizenship, Lewis also acknowledged the significant act of leaving former homes to make a new life in Canada.
“Some of you had to escape from war-torn homelands, leave friends and family members behind or walk away from property and possessions in your land of birth,’’ he said.
“Your presence here today confirms that your courage, perseverance and faith have been rewarded. You have made the tough adjustments and you have made a conscious decision in favour of Canada.’’