Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 1, 2022, Winnipeg, Manitoba ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COMB2 C M Y K PAGE B2 TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022NEWS WHILE the world’s focus is on the growing refugee crisis in Ukraine, Mennonite church leaders in Manitoba don’t want the needs of Afghanistan refugees seeking safe haven in Canada to be forgotten. In particular, they are appealing to all denominations to help bring 100 Afghan Christian refugee families to Canada. The appeal comes from the Canadian Council of Anabaptist Leaders, which includes four Mennonite denominations based in the province. They are work- ing with Mennonite Central Committee Canada, which has a refugee sponsor- ship agreement with the Canadian gov- ernment. Tim Dyck, executive director of the Steinbach-based Evangelical Menno- nite Conference, is helping to organize the appeal. Dyck noted the Canadian govern- ment has promised to bring as many as 40,000 vulnerable Afghan refugees to Canada. Afghan Christians are among those the government considers to be at risk, along with translators, educators, athletes, women and girls, lawyers, ac- tivists, and others. Unlike for the other groups, howev- er, Dyck said: “Nobody is advocating for Afghan Christians. If Christians in Canada don’t do it, nobody will.” These people are all fairly new be- lievers, he said of the tiny Christian mi- nority in the south central Asia country. Many converted to Christianity during the time of freedom that followed the U.S. invasion in 2001. After the takeover by the Taliban in August 2021, many fled to other coun- tries such as Pakistan, India or Saudi Arabia for safety. “They can’t go home again, and some may not be safe where they are,” Dyck said. “They are looking for a place to call a permanent home.” The appeal for sponsors isn’t limited to Mennonite congregations, Dyck said: “Every church is welcome to apply.” The cost of sponsoring a refugee fam- ily is between $25,000 to $30,000 per family for a year, and includes helping them find a place to live, get settled, get the children into schools, and things such as English lessons, Dyck said. “This is a unique opportunity for Canadian Christians,” he said. “Just as many churches responded to the needs of Syrian refugees and others, they are invited to respond to the needs of these Afghan Christians.” National director of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Elton DaSilva said the Win- nipeg-based conference has started reaching out to churches in his denom- ination to sponsor a family; so far four churches, none in Manitoba, have ex- pressed interest. “Mennonite Brethren remember when revolution and war caused their relatives to flee persecution, hunger and death and seek refuge,” he said, referencing the time 100 years ago, and again after the Second World War, when Mennonites fled the former Sovi- et Union for safety in Canada. Shoaib Ebadi, executive director of Square One World Media in Winnipeg, grew up in Afghanistan. The member of a local Mennonite Brethren church is excited about the ef- fort to bring Christian Afghan refugee families to Canada because “they are doubly vulnerable,” he said. In addition to some belonging to high- risk groups, being Christian puts them at an additional risk now that the coun- try is ruled by the Taliban. The Taliban follows a harsh version of Islam and has a strict interpretation of Islamic law, Ebadi said, noting Afghans who convert to Christianity can be at risk of persecution or even death. “Our duty as Christians in Canada is to help our brothers and sisters in need,” he said, noting many are languishing in immigration limbo in other countries. The Canadian Council of Anabaptist Leaders includes the Canadian Confer- ence of Mennonite Brethren Churches, Evangelical Mennonite Conference, Evangelical Mennonite Mission Confer- ence, and Mennonite Church Canada, along with the Be In Christ Church of Canada (based in Ontario). Churches seeking to sponsor an Af- ghan Christian refugee family can e-mail afghanrefugees@mcccanada.ca or call 1-888-622-6337. faith@freepress.mb.ca Church sponsors sought for AfghanChristian refugee families JOHN LONGHURST Discover the the day’s top stories. Released each weekday by 7 p.m. Above The Fold delivers a carefully curated package of news, features and analysis exclusive to theWinnipeg Free Press. Visitwinnipegfreepress.com to see it for yourself. ABOVE THE FOLD T H E P E R F E C T COMPAN I ON TO YOUR MORN I NG PA P E R JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Angeline Nelson says Wii Chiiwaakanak addresses gaps in underrepresented communities. T HE Wii Chiiwaakanak LearningCentre has secured new federalfunding that will allow its free camp for Indigenous students — which aims to expose inner-city elementary schoolers to science, technology, en- gineering, arts and mathematics — to triple in size this summer. The centre, which operates out of the University of Winnipeg, typically runs an annual two- to three-week day camp for a total of 50 students. This year,Wii Chiiwaakanakwill pro- vide STEAM programming to 150 stu- dents on and off the downtown campus over four weeks, said Angeline Nelson, director of community learning and en- gagement. “As a visibly First Nation student, it’s very clear to see that you’re underrep- resented in many different areas… The importance of these types of programs is to help address some of those gaps from underrepresented communities,” said Nelson, who is Ojibwa and Cree from Roseau River First Nation. Nelson graduated from the Univer- sity of Manitoba with a bachelor of science degree in 2009. The director said her goal is to use a grant from CanCode, an initiative out of Ottawa that supports projects that equip youth — with a focus on under- represented groups — with scientific and digital skills they need to prepare for future studies, to get more young Indigenous students interested in sci- ence-related disciplines. Wii Chiiwaakanak has secured a total of $367,000 between Jan. 25, 2022, and March 31, 2024. “It’s been a long time coming that we’ve been building on all of our STEAM outreach programs,” Nelson said, adding sheandher colleagueshave tailored offerings to younger students because there is a dearth of engaging programs for elementary schoolers that weave Indigenous knowledge into sci- ence-related instruction. The annual summer camp for incom- ing grades 1-6 students educates them on everything from chemistry to com- puter science, involves activities rang- ing from dissections to field trips, and introduces participants to Indigenous role models in the STEAM fields. Approximately two years ago, centre staff surveyed around 85 local families who had engaged in their various pro- grams to find out about student experi- ences with the content. Nelson said less than 30 per cent of children had participated in science, technology, engineering and mathemat- ics programs before. “That really spoke to us,” she said. “It really spoke to the significance of our programming and ensuring that kids have an opportunity to learn about STEAM, to be on campus from a young age, to develop that sense of belonging and also, to engage in programs where they are represented.” The Anishinaabemowin name of the centre translates to “partners” or “walking together” in English, Nelson added. “Our government is proud to invest in Wii Chiiwaakanak and be a partner in delivering educational and cultur- al programming rooted in Indigenous knowledge,” said Liberal MP Dan Van- dal, federal minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Cana- da, in a prepared release about the an- nouncement. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie Centreweaves instructionwith Indigenous knowledge MAGGIE MACINTOSH LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER B_02_Mar-01-22_FP_01.indd 2 2022-02-28 10:02 PM ;