I recently finished reading CITIZENS OF NOWHERE, From Refugee Camp to Canadian campus by Debi Goodwin. It was a gift from my dear friend Nadia. This is a fantastic, if sad, recount of the lives of 11 Somali students from Kenyan refugee camps and their journey into different Canadian institutions. Goodwin knits contrasting snapshots of life during their first school year in different corners of the country (from Victoria to Halifax). Goodwin tells this story with compassion and detail, at times bringing tears and excitement to a concentrated reader. I not only recommend the book (Anchor Canada/Random House) but would also like to reflect on an issue that concerns me. That is the way students cope and adjust to their new circumstances once they have bravely left their home countries to venture into what they expect to be a better life (at least one with plenty of opportunities). Most of the young women and men in Citizens of Nowhere have left their roots, families and hostile realities to face new challenges on their own. In a way, their journey is very similar to that of any international student. While it is true that most international students in Canada come from more privilege contexts, their process of adjustment to a new environment remains equally difficult.
Goodwin is a documentary producer and former CBC journalist. Her documentary “The lucky ones” inspired this book. You can hear from Debi and two of the students at: CBC.ca | The Sunday Edition | Somalia - Chimps - Emily Dickinson
For more info on the program developed by The World University Service of Canada, you can visit this link: (WUSC)
