My name is Fatma and I am a single mom from Syria with a son. I arrived to Canada in February 2016 from a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey to begin building my new life from zero. I still remember the feelings of my first moment of my arrival to Canada. It was snowing and -20 degrees. At first, I felt depressed and lonely. Read more here.

“My name is Aya, I am originally from Syria. I am a newcomer to Canada and arrived in January 2021. I was previously living in China. I am 21 years old and so far I am enjoying Canada.

I was very nervous when I first arrived. When I was in China I wouldn’t see foreigners that frequently, so it was a culture shock to see so many different people from different backgrounds all in one place. 

I joined Together Project because I really wanted to make new friends and get assistance with getting to know the city better. It’s been amazing so far, the volunteers are really friendly and supportive. We have formed a book club, because I love reading, and we have settled on Love in the Time of Cholera for our first book this month.” – Aya

We are excited to share Aya’s Story of a Match, this update is the first of a series of updates from Aya over the course of her Welcome Group match with Together Project volunteers. Stay tuned to hear more... Read more >

Together Project is launching an education guide to assist refugee newcomer families in the Toronto and Peel regions in navigating the educational system. This document provides matched volunteers with training, resources, and guidance around addressing newcomer families’ unique challenges with regards to their children’s education. It includes an in-depth overview of how newcomers interact with the school system and the different challenge areas refugee newcomer parents may face when engaging in their children’s education.

This guide will help Welcome Group volunteers more effectively support newcomer families with a safe return to schools as part of the pandemic recovery. View and download the guide here.