Social shines!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Nest Celebrate Summer Social in Osler on July 17. We sold 148 tickets and from all reports everyone enjoyed the gorgeous afternoon at the Buhler Gardens and their visits to three other gardens. A special thank you to Ruth and Wilf Buhler, Helena Enns, Diane McKinnell and Robin Neudorf for allowing us to show and share their … Continue reading Social shines!

Nest provides asylum to women activists

Nest is working to sponsor women activists from Afghanistan and Sudan, who were forced to flee their homes due to their work for women’s equality. Nest is sponsoring Maryam, her spouse and two small children. Maryam (pictured here) is an Afghan journalist specializing in gender and human rights. She also is a member of the persecuted Hazara minority. When the Taliban took power on August … Continue reading Nest provides asylum to women activists

Petition urges Afghan action

A group called Change.org is calling on the Canadian government to change two key requirements of the immigration and refugee program to address the Afghan crisis and allow more Afghans to get to Canada. In a petition to the Canadian government, the group says the government must remove the language assessment requirement for skilled Afghan workers. “The requirement for English proficiency and biometrics for Skilled … Continue reading Petition urges Afghan action

Which countries stand tallest?

When it comes to hosting refugees, Lebanon stands the tallest. This assessment is based on a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council. The council looked at which countries hosted the most refugees (per capita) between 2010 to 2019. As the Council notes, most of the countries on the top ten list have done so despite facing enormous challenges of their own, including civil wars, Ebola … Continue reading Which countries stand tallest?

Speed-up process, groups say

Nest welcomed two refugee families earlier this year: a family of four from Syria and a single parent and her son from Iraq. That was February.  Then the pandemic hit and refugee resettlement stopped. Instead of welcoming 32,000 asylum seekers in 2020, Canada has admitted about 6,000 refugees this year. Now, eight months after the application process was stopped, refugee resettlement to Canada has resumed, albeit … Continue reading Speed-up process, groups say

Refugee settlement “on hold”

Flights have stopped, embassy interviews cancelled and sponsorship applications are on hold as Canada and the world grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic. The crisis has impacted many of Nest’s sponsorships. Here are a few: Continue reading “Refugee settlement “on hold””

Sisters and their families reunited

Two sisters and their families waited more than three years to be reunited in Saskatoon. But the wait finally ended on February 25, when Noor tearfully greeted her sister Sura and and nephew Namer at the airport. Nest sponsored Noor and her son Yazan in 2015 through the Canadian government’s Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR) Program. They were Iraqi refugees in Kuwait. Nest applied to … Continue reading Sisters and their families reunited

The Karate Kids

How is it that two refugee families from Colombia and Syria have found a “second home” at Shotokan Karate YXE?

One might expect that soccer would be the sport of choice for children from Syria or Colombia. But for two refugee families living in Saskatoon, it is all about karate.

The kids passion for karate is due in large part to the commitment, passion and generosity of Sensei Brad and his staff at Shotokan Karate YXE.

Continue reading “The Karate Kids”

Nest receives Global Citizens Award

Four of the original members of Nest received the 2019 Global Citizen Award at a ceremony in Saskatoon on February 9. The award was presented to Thelma Howard, Faith Rohrbough, Heather Kleiner and Margareth Peterson by the Saskatchewan Council for International Co-operation. The annual award recognizes Saskatchewan people who are making outstanding contributions to global co-operation, peace and justice. Thelma, Faith, Heather and Margareth have contributed … Continue reading Nest receives Global Citizens Award