Update on our Refugee Project with Sam, Nipa and family — August 2024

To All Friends of our Refugee Project – Sam, Nipa, and children

Multiple developments have occurred.  Thank you for your continuing interest.

We now have a file number (G000485841).  What might have been achieved earlier in 4 months has taken 16.  Our immigration system, particularly for refugees, is grossly overloaded.

All documents for the reconstituted sponsorship group are submitted.  Guided by our official representative in Toronto, Stephen Watt, CEO of Norther Lights Canada, our application was updated, documentation gathered and verified for our seven newly named sponsors, and transfer of trust money now fully documented.  All is now in the hands of IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada).  We expect this transfer of responsibilities should not be holding up procedures.  We now have online access with IRCC to monitor developments.

Support for this family exists with multiple groups sharing the load.  Let me explain.

  • Original fund-raising donors, via Northern Lights Canada (NLC). These were initial unrelated Canadian donors plus donors in the UK that provided the amazing final push to CAD 35,500.
  • The formal sponsorship group.  On the decision of the original group to withdraw, our new group was formed to include Jim Jacobson, Rob Sentis, Derek Pho, Aganze Kashafali, Tim Wan, plus Sharon Hamilton and me in our added roles as cosigners for the trust money.  The sponsorship group provides formal guidance to this project and have formal commitment through to the end of the first 12 months of settlement of the family in Canada.  This is what we are calling the Inner Ring of support.
  • An Outer Ring also exists of family members and friends who are following developments in readiness to give what help may be available as our project progresses. This update is being shared with both our inner and outer support and interest groups.
  • But among those mentioned above we also have a critically important and generous Interim Financing group. Because of the special circumstances in Bangkok, and especially since the arrest of Sam and the conditions for his release, we have donors step forward to provide monthly financial support to the family.  Since the episode we document in our website, now 18 months ago, these generous donors are ensuring the family has enough to survive while awaiting their flight to Canada.  (See: www.rrvista.net/refugee-help).

Self-help in Bangkok

From the beginning, we have known of the special challenge of sponsoring a family of six.  Sam was doing great for many years until Covid shut down his online business in Bangkok.  His ability to provide for his family was dealt a deathblow with his arrest and court order to refrain from earning money while awaiting departure to Canada.  But, since January of this year, Nipa has been able to assume full-time work in a shop, and was recently appointed a manager, too.  Her work week is 6 ½ days per week (with only Sunday afternoon off), but she is only able to only cover about 40% of the housing, food, and schooling costs of the family.

Our appreciation and approach to keeping you aware.

We appreciate each one of you, and while needs may be identified from time to time, we want to assure you that we will not do more than simply alert our friends to the needs as we understand them.  The responses have come, step by step so far, as individuals understand the needs and generously respond.  We call this a Journey of Faith.

Awaiting next steps.  This involves:

  • Official confirmation of the veracity of all filed documents.
  • Official visits/interviews with Sam and family, plus medical checks for all.
  • Further waiting as events unfold. We anticipate arrival within the next 8 months or so.
  • About 8-10 weeks in advance of their arrival in Regina, we should know dates of flights and ready ourselves with housing and household goods.

The story of the boy and starfish.  One of our donors likened this rescue to a story many of you know.  I recently posted something about this on my website.  In the face of such great needs both home and abroad, I see much relevance in the story.  Check it out here:  QS — Story of the Boy and the Starfish – RRVista…

Please continue to keep this beautiful family in your thoughts and prayers.  This is a great rescue operation.  None of us understood what challenges were unfolding.  We have shared needs, and individuals have responded in ways each has been able.

Thank you for your commitment to serve, whether elsewhere or with Sam, Nipa, and family.  May God reward each as is fitting.  It is not really our work in which we are engaged here, but His work.

Blessing to each of you.

 

Ron Richmond
306.591.3936