The Moose Jaw Newcomer Welcome Centre used the power of story to help break down barriers and create understanding among different people.
About 15 immigrants participated in Storyotype on July 5, an event that saw three residents — Abraham Chol, Don Mitchell and Ginny Jackson — share information about their successes, journeys and backgrounds. Groups of newcomers met with each speaker for about 15 minutes to listen, ask questions and engage in conversations.
This is the fifth time the Welcome Centre has held this activity, explained Tyler Bastedo, community connections co-ordinator. Storyotypes reduces stereotypes by using stories and creating an atmosphere where people can celebrate similarities and differences.
“Sometimes it’s not just the storyteller that’s telling their story, but sometimes the audience will relate to something they’re saying and then they will have a chance to share their story back and forth,” said Melissa Mitchell, program manager.
The three community members all have different backgrounds, she continued. They were asked to speak since some have volunteered with the centre before, while others are known in the community.
“They don’t need to be experts in anything, aside from themselves,” joked Bastedo.
Abraham Chol came to Canada from South Sudan as a refugee and moved to Moose Jaw nine months ago; he is now a permanent resident. He participated in Storyotypes, he explained, since he thought it was important to share more about his background.
“(I) can help the people, (especially if I) have good advice about a situation I face,” he said. “If someone have same story, they can share it with me. Also, I live here, I can share information (about the living conditions).”
Chol and his family fled their village when he was 11 years old due to political violence. The family travelled to Ethiopia and faced hardship and stress along the way. It took them five weeks with little food to make the trip, while it was also cold since it was winter.
“We suffered a lot,” he said.
The family reached Ethiopia in 1987, but by 1991, they were forced to move back to South Sudan. He managed to survive during the next two decades before finally escaping to Canada.
Ginny Jackson and her husband moved to Canada from Oklahoma 30 years ago so he could work in the cattle industry. She joked that they only planned to remain in Alberta for five years, but stayed longer than expected.
From Alberta they moved to Moosomin, before coming back west 19 years ago to live in Moose Jaw.
“I couldn’t go back to Oklahoma now because it’s so humid,” she said.
Since the couple moved eight times during those 30 years, community is important to Jackson. She understood that the newcomers’ questions were not intrusive, but simply asked out of curiosity.
Since moving to Moose Jaw, Jackson has taught English as a second language.
“This was really nice to be asked (to present). We all seek to belong versus fitting in,” she said. “The immigrants even teach me about belonging.”
Clients at the multicultural centre inspire Jackson, who noted she made a big deal about leaving her state since she would be further away from family. However, she observed that she “had to get over myself” after she learned that many immigrants come from other countries.
“(Their) smiles … it’s a lesson for all of us,” she added. “It’s a chance to learn from each other and not fear each other.”
Anyone interested in hosting a Storyotypes event can call the Welcome Centre at 306-693-4677.
