Walking together: Healing and hope for Colombian refugees

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w a l k i n g
t o g e t h e r
Colombian Refugees share their
experiences in recovering from trauma
and finding meaning:
“Doing my job as a newscaster and
journalist with enormous quality, with
up-to-date details, and expressing myself
in a positive and understandable way
gave me great satisfaction in Colombia.
I was happy because the people admired
and appreciated me. I had a lot of great
friendships and I was known all over the
country. Here in Canada I participate in
a Vallenato Orchestra. I distract myself
a bit, meet up with other people, lose
myself in the music. I play accordion
even though I never played it before -
but I can do it! I’m also the referee for
a Latin American football league. It’s a
good way to get recreation. Next year
I’m going to be secretary for the league to
help them with organization, statistics,
so they can see how the games are going
- who is the best player, who is winning.
Other things that help me feel satisfied
are my work, my studies, and doing
everything that I do to my very best.”
- Carlos
“First of all it is one’s family that makes
you feel alive, that supports you and
gives you ideas. Second are your friends,
and third is being able to study and move
ahead with life.I don’t think I’ve gotten to
the stage of feeling satisfaction in my life
in Canada yet. First of all we are hoping
to find satisfaction in being able to speak
English - to feel much better and be able
to go out. Later we would like to enter
university and finish our studies, and
later be able to have a good job and for
my family to be independent.”
- Jorge
Some ideas that have worked well for building these
relationships include organizing different families from
the church who will be willing to invite the family over
for dinner or take them on outings around town and
celebrate birthdays, important holidays and other
special occasions together. Ensure that refugee youth
are included in church youth group activities and plug
the refugee parents into a weekly care group, small
group or Bible study. Showing a genuine interest in the
refugee family as people (not victims) and friends is
often all it takes to construct relationships that are lifegiving
on both sides, and could carry on long after the
sponsorship is over.
Other ideas for forming social connections include
helping the refugee family connect with local cultural
organizations, community support groups, refugee
organizations or other community groups such as
community or church sports teams or community music
or dance groups.
Keep in mind that Colombian refugees may not always
want relationships with other Colombians. Before
you arrange for the refugee family to meet other
Colombians in your community that they don’t have a
prior relationship with, check in with the family to find
out how they feel about this. Because of the complex
nature of the armed conflict, victims of different groups
may look at one another with suspicion - Colombian
refugees will not automatically trust one another. Many
Colombian refugees in Canada end up feeling more
comfortable and building supportive relationships with
people from other Latin American countries rather than
with other Colombians.
Clearly, challenges will be present, the obvious ones
being language and cultural differences. Even though
a language barrier may exist, the refugee family will
feel loved and appreciated by the efforts the church
makes to include them, even when sign language
may be the only means of communication at first. An
ongoing challenge that refugees face in building social