Project Abraham held its fourth bazaar at the Lodzer Synagogue yesterday, Sunday January 14/18, to provide winter clothing and household goods for newly arrived Yezidis refugees in the GTA.

Roji and Eda Rojia Ezi (Fasting and Feast of Ezi) are religious holy days that the Yezidis celebrate in December.  This is a special time for the Yezidis, and this year Project Abraham volunteers had the pleasure of being invited to help them celebrate. 

For more photos, click here ---> Eda Rojia Dec 15 2017

Dec-6/17

Yesterday, December 5/17, Debbie Rose (Manager, Project Abraham), Gary Rose (Director of Communication, Project Abraham), Nadre Atto, and Aveen Ismail, met before the Standing Committee of Immigration and Citizenship to provide our experience and recommendations on the current GOC initiative to bring the most vulnerable of the Yezidis to Canada.

The following is a link to the meeting, with links to our report and remarks to the committee.

Testimony before the Committee on Immigration and Citizenship
Brief submitted to the Committee on Immigration and Citizenship
Remarks to the Committee on Immigration and Citizenship (Debbie Rose)
Remarks to the Committee on Immigration and Citizenship (Gary Rose)

Nov- 8/17

MPs on the immigration committee are currently being briefed on the results of the GOC's commitment to bring #Yezidi and other minority survivors to Canada (Nov 7/17).

#ProjectAbraham provided the committee with a report based on our experience and observations, many of which coincide with the points brought forth in this CBC report. Unfortunately, while bringing the Yezidi victims of ISIS to Canada should be applauded, the GOC has not fully addressed the needs of the victims once they arrived. There are many glaring deficiencies and issues, both immediate and longer-term.

Project Abraham has stepped in to address some of these issues, but without more attention, support, and guidance from the government, these traumatized victims will face a long and hard road that will prolong their recovery and integration.

Last Sunday, September 24/17, Project Abraham volunteers successfully organized another bazaar for the Yazidi community.

with contributions by Doris Epstein and Debbie Rose

It was January 31, 2016 when Hayder Essw, 47, a Yazidi refugee living in Canada received the news of four Yazidis families drowning while trying to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece.  Like thousands of other Yazidis, they were trying to reach what they saw as the freedom of Europe. In their minds, whatever it took to get there was worth the risk. Their lives were already hell, and they had nothing left to lose.