IN PHOTOS | Waterloo’s Reception House hosts Eid celebration for newcomers to Canada | CBC News
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There were several Eid celebrations held around Waterloo region Friday and into the weekend to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
On Sunday, Reception House Waterloo Region hosted its own Eid celebration in Waterloo — one that’s meant to give newcomers to Canada a sense of community and belonging.
“We want them to feel welcomed. We don’t want them to feel isolated,” Zakim Tokhy, interim resettlement assistance program manager at Reception House Waterloo Region, told CBC News. “The way that they welcomed us 20 years [ago], now we want to give back to the community and also welcome the newcomers here.”
More than 30 newcomers were at the gathering. There were food, activities for children and even some singing.
(John Dalusong/CBC News)
Rahima Khushi is a life skills facilitator with Reception House. She says it’s common for her to meet women and children new to Canada who feel left out and isolated.
“[Women and children] don’t get the opportunity to join because of transportation issues and a lot of barriers,” she said. “As you can see, they are very new to Canada, so [this Eid celebration] is the only place I believe they feel like home.”
Tokhy says when the organization was planning the event, they wanted to make sure Eid was memorable and fun for the children.
Grace Nshimiyumukiza volunteers at Reception House Waterloo Region. She arrived in Canada as a Kenyan refugee herself and received transitional support from the organization.
She uses art therapy to help newcomer children heal from their past traumas and transition into members of the local community.
