— Nyarzas suffer torture & persecution in Kenyan refugee camp —

(OSOYOOS TIMES — Dec. 6, 2006) —

By Lawrence McMahenrnOsoyoos Times

In just a few days the life-and-death struggle that people in war-torn Africa wage against torture and starvation won't seem so remote to Osoyoos residents.
It will have a human face “ in fact, seven of them “ right in town.
Osoyoos is about to welcome a parentless young refugee family of six Sudanese brothers and one sister, whose compelling story has fast-tracked them through the normally long international resettlement process.
For the past four years, the seven members of the Nyarza family, led by the eldest, 24-year-old Peter John, have endured persecution, torture, life on the run, and the hardships of fleeing civil war in their native Sudan and living in a large refugee camp in northeastern Kenya.
The family's devastating experience and Peter John's inspiring personality have captured the hearts of people they've met along the way, and that has helped them gain rapid approvals through all the stages of the resettlement and Canadian immigration processes.
It's expected that before Christmas the Nyarzas will be flown from Kenya to Vancouver and then driven to Osoyoos, where they are being resettled.
The seven “ Peter John (24), Joice (22), William (20), twins James and Zechariah (18), Charles (8), and Victor (5) “ are being co-sponsored by John and Sue Cooper and the Osoyoos Baptist Church.
The Nyarzas' lifeline to Osoyoos appeared in 2004 when the Coopers' daughter, Elizabeth, went to the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya for the second time, to continue her UBC master's thesis research on educational opportunities for children in such camps. Peter John stood out as an articulate representative of Sudanese youth in the camp and he took part in her study. While he didn't trouble Elizabeth with his story during her stay, as she was leaving he gave her a letter telling of his family's plight.
It was very moving, she recalls “ and the details of their struggle and the dignity and optimism of Peter John's personality made her want to take up their cause.
Over a number of months, she and her parents considered what they could do. By early 2006 Sue and John, a local lawyer and former mayor, made the decision to sponsor the Nyarzas for resettlement to Osoyoos. At their invitation, the Baptist Church, led by Pastor Phil Johnson, became co-sponsor.
Peter John's story is heartbreaking. In 2002 he graduated from high school in southern Sudan and was accepted for university in that country's capital, Khartoum. But at an orientation session, he and fellow students were told they must instead join the army, fighting in a bloody civil war. When he objected, he was beaten. Later, his parents were killed by rebel soldiers, and he and his siblings fled into the bush. Eventually they wound up in northern Kenya and were taken to the Dadaab Refugee Camp. As Sudanese, they were a small minority in the camp compared to the Somali majority, and they faced harassment and violence.
When Elizabeth took on their cause, she realized they would be near the last to be considered for resettlement to Europe or North America, because the selection process favours single men or small families with parents, since those could fit the workforce and have a good chance of being self-sufficient.
Nevertheless, this year the barriers to resettlement for the Nyarzas seemed to fall away, starting with the preparation of the application forms by the Coopers and the Baptist Church this past June.
Sue Cooper says, John and I have raised four children and they're gone now, so we realized we could do this, and we thought it is something we should do.rnPastor Phil notes the church leadership quickly agreed they would like to help, and in mid-June a vote of the entire congregation approved its co-sponsorship of bringing the Nyarzas to Osoyoos.
Forms had to go back and forth between Kenya and Osoyoos, and the Coopers note the work done by Canadian immigration staff in Kelowna and Vancouver and the outstanding help from Karin Michnick of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and Claudine Bissonnette, Second Secretary of the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya.
Bissonnette told the Coopers, As an immigration officer we hear a lot of things, but what Peter John and his family have been through is beyond a lot of things that I have heard. This is a unique case due to the urgency of the situation. Normally our processing time for privately sponsored refugees is 36 months. We expedite things only when there is a serious insecurity issue, which was the case with the Nyarzas ¦ Peter John moved me a lot. He is an incredible person and I am sure that he will make you proud once he settles in Canada.rnThe Nyarzas' unsafe situation was illustrated again in late-July when Peter John and Victor were attacked and beaten by a group of Somalis. They were hospitalized for their injuries. The Coopers have sent some money each month to help the Nyarzas with expenses, including the hospital stay.
In September, just three months after the initial application, the family was approved for resettlement. They were flown to Nairobi and moved into a German non-governmental organization residence and in late-November all seven passed their medical tests. Now they are just waiting for flights to be arranged by the international resettlement agency for their travel from Nairobi to London to Vancouver.
Everyone involved is excited about the impending trip.
I'm feeling hugely positive about it, because they (the Nyarzas) are feeling hugely positive about it, says Elizabeth.
I'm very excited about them coming “ and about what they have to teach us, Pastor Phil notes.
All seven Nyarzas will stay for their first month in Osoyoos with the Coopers, but the goal of refugee resettlement is to have them become self-sufficient as quickly as possible.
Church member Amy Bartsch is co-ordinating a drive for donations of all the things the Nyarzas will need to set up their own living accommodations.
She says she is looking for furniture, clothing, bedding and kitchen supplies.
Brad Riznek, of Show-in-Motion, has donated storage space for the materials, but anyone with something to donate should first contact Amy at 495-3343 or e-mail [email][email protected][/email]rnThe Coopers and Pastor Johnson say the Nyarza Family Fund has been set up to receive donated money to help the seven young people when they arrive in town.
An account has been created at the Osoyoos Credit Union, and donations can be made at the credit union directly into that account, although those wishing tax receipts (for donations over $25) must give the donation to the Osoyoos Baptist Church (Nyarza Family Fund).
Everyone involved is confident that this parentless family, which has gone through so much fear, violence and hardship for the past four years, will be welcomed by the Osoyoos community.
They will need help with English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) training, jobs, orientation to the climate and the area, and with many other things.
These kids are going to need as many friends as they can get, says Elizabeth.
We hope the whole community will embrace this family, Sue adds.