Living in Canada
Nebiat first arrived in Canada in 2001 as a visitor. She came with the intention of spending time with her daughter who was expecting her third child. Nebiat’s hope was to return home to Ethiopia and Eritrea at the end of her Canadian visit. But the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea made it dangerous for Nebiat to return home. Torn, she successfully applied to remain in Canada as a refugee.
Today, Nebiat lives with her youngest daughter, Selam and her three grandchildren in Victoria, British Columbia. Adjusting to a new life in Canada has not been easy for her. The language is different, the climate is colder and wetter and the customs are strange and foreign. The Eritrean community in Victoria is very small and numbers less than 100 persons. Keeping her Eritrean traditions and cultural practices alive are important to Nebiat. She welcomes and values the time she spends with her Eritrean friends, traveling to Vancouver to attend the Eritrean community church or to share in Bunna- the coffee drinking tradition that is an important part of Eritrean culture.
The local intercultural and immigrant centre in Victoria has meant a lot to Nebiat. The centre has helped her to adapt to her new life in Canada. It has provided her with an opportunity to take English classes and attend a weekly multicultural seniors group where she has made many friends with other immigrant seniors from around the globe. In early 2002, Nebiat formed a particularly strong friendship with Maki, a female Japanese immigrant who befriended Nebiat shortly after she arrived in Canada. Maki would always phone Nebiat to see how she was coping or would take her for outings around town in her car. Nebiat felt a great loss when in 2007, cancer took her friend Maki away from her.
Every Sunday attends the local Christian Church practicing her faith. It was at this church where she met and was befriended by an elderly couple named Dave and Dorothy. Nebiat now spends three times a week with Dave and Dorothy visiting with them and helping them with housework. Dave and Dorothy have become her second family. When she can, Nebiat travels to Vancouver to attend the traditional Eritrean church and visit with Eritrean community members. Keeping her Eritrean culture and values alive are important to Nebiat. Preparing Eritrean meals using traditional ingredients and recipes at home helps Nebiat maintain a connection to her culture.
