Yosef's Nightmare in the Land of Dreams

In an effort to escape the devastating poverty and war in Palestine, Yosef arrived in Canada as a refugee-claimant, envisioning dreams of a better life for himself and his family. 

Thousands of asylum seekers arrive in Canada every year, filled with the hope of it being their safe haven; for Yosef, Canada is where he hoped all of his dreams would come true...and who can blame him? Canada offered the promise of an environment free of war, a wealth of opportunities, and a place to start fresh. 

With very little to his name, and no place to go, Yosef struggled to find a safe place to call home, and was forced to make the tough decision between either having food or shelter. Once again, Yosef was faced with poverty and uncertainty in the very place he was hoping to escape it.

However, Canada is no stranger to poverty. An estimate of 235,000 people experience homelessness every year, with approximately 35,000 people relying on shelters every night. Of those that are homeless, 14% are newcomers, many of whom are refugees coming to Canada hoping for a better life, just like Yosef.

After being pointed in the direction of homeless shelters, Yosef quickly learned that they were not an ideal place to take refuge. The shelters were full of dangers, from violence, drug abuse, rape, and the fear of theft, and he had to make the difficult decision of leaving the only roof over his head, out of fear for his safety.

Like Yosef, many have tried living in shelters, however fear for their safety as well as having their remaining possessions stolen while they are out looking for work, has them rejecting the services that were established to help them. In addition to this, many of the homeless have no choice but to sleep on the streets, as the majority of shelters are filled to capacity every single night - leaving them to face the unforgiving weather and freezing conditions typical of Canadian winters.

In his search for a safe shelter, Yosef found himself at a local mosque, where he was introduced to National Zakat Foundation. With the support of our generous donors, NZF was able to help him find temporary residence in a motel and provided him with food gift cards. With our assistance in navigating additional resources, he was able to make headway in renting his own place and finding a means to provide for himself, getting one step closer to reuniting with his family. 

Newcomers like Yosef (immigrants, refugees, and refugee claimants) are one of the largest groups of people that seek assistance from National Zakat Foundation, making up nearly half of all those assisted in 2019. Many of them are on the verge of homelessness; some are already struggling with shelters, sleeping on the streets or under bridges in an effort to escape the harsh weather conditions. 

With the help of our generous donors, we can continue to save our Muslim brothers and sisters from homelessness, and help them find a safe place to call home - something we all deserve.

Donate to National Zakat Foundation at www.nzfcanada.com/donate/