A long-awaited and eagerly anticipated refugee family landed in Castlegar Tuesday afternoon. Zing Men and Tha Tin and their adorable baby have come from Burma (Myanmar) via the Canadian immigration offices in Singapore after spending more than four years in Malaysia.
The family was welcomed by the Castlegar Refugee Project (CaRe), which has been working on sponsoring a refugee family for quite some time. A representative group greeted the family with assistance from Lun Lun San-Latt, a former resident of Burma who now lives in Rossland.
“We are so thankful and grateful for the community support, I can’t emphasize that enough,” said CaRe organizer Rosemary Manarin. “It has been awesome. Thanks to all of the groups, organizations and individuals, we have been able to furnish the house completely and we have enough to do the second house when the Syrian family comes.”
The refugee committee still has a lot of work to do as they prepare for the arrival of a second family, this one from Syria, expected in a few months. The group is still looking for a house, preferably in the downtown area of Castlegar, for the second family.
More funds also need to be raised, but CaRe is also really in need of individuals to partner with them in organizing fundraising activities. Anyone wishing to volunteer or donate can find out more information on the CaRe-Castlegar Refugee Project’s Facebook page.
The Burmese family will need some time to rest after their long journey, and some time to adjust to a new way of life in a foreign land. As they begin to explore and learn about their new home, may they find Castlegar welcoming them with open arms.
