Celebrations and new adventures in Paraguay
South Asian families across the globe have been celebrating the Festival of Lohri, this past week. Don't confuse it with Diwali, which is celebrated in the fall. Lohri represents the season of the new beginning.
It can be in the form a birth of a child or a marriage. I recall being invited two years ago to my first Lohri party by Abbotsford resident Jai Birdi, where we celebrated the birth of a baby girl with the family at a restaurant.
The beauty of this specific occasion was they were a non- Indian family and it clearly demonstrated that we should never hold back in reaching out to members outside of our own culture.
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A member of the Mission Fire & Rescue is returning to Paraguay for his second tour as part of Firefighters without Borders Canada. Captain Norm MacLeod, who started with the local department as a paid on call member in 1988, has been a career member since 2009. MacLeod said: "Prior to our deployment, our organization shipped 11, 500 pounds of equipment and Firefighting gear to Paraguay by land and sea."
Other team members include: Derek Dickson, Brad Knorr and Brian Metzak.
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Speaking about new beginnings and developing relationships. What never fails to impress me is the amount of social programs being offered to assist new Canadians in their transition to Canada.
"Friendships across Cultures" is a program about creating friendships between new Canadians and Canadian youth's aged 12-18. The program is designed to help integrate them into community and to develop a better understanding of various cultures.
Volunteers are matched offering friendship, support and creating an overall feeling of connectedness. It also aims at educating youth on anti-racism and aid in breaking down cultural barriers existing in our schools and community.
The program is currently offered in five local schools in Abbotsford and has over 300 youths (newcomers and volunteers) participating.
A similar program, The Host Program, also helps new Canadians adjust to their new life in Canada. With the help of volunteers, newcomers learn about Canadian values, traditions and daily life so that they feel more at home in Canada. Volunteers and newcomers meet for an hour or two every week, for a period of six months to a year.
Matches are based on criteria, such as similar interests, family size, age and gender. For more information contact Gladwin Language Center at 604-854-8160, or GladwinLanguageHostProgram@gmail.com.
- Ken Herar is a freelance columist with the Abbotsford-Mission Times. Contact him at: kenherar@gmail.com.
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