A Small Girl with Big Dreams
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"Exercise or dance while thinking about the things you love the most. Dreaming is important, keep dreaming. Trust your self. Work hard."
I came to Canada in March 2011 with my two kids and I've been here for 5 years and 8 months now.
I was living in Iran and my parents wanted me to be married. I was married when I was 11 years old to a man who was 35 years old. It was very difficult for me because all I wanted to do was play outside and go to school but I had no choice but to stay at home and cook and clean for when my husband got home.
Two years later, I found out that I was pregnant. I felt so bad and I cried a lot and told my mom that I wanted to go to school and study and that I didn’t know how to take care of a baby. She told me I had to give birth to it but once I did she would take care of it for me.
One day, I started to notice that my husband kept coming home late. He wouldn’t come home until midnight or he’d disappear for two days. I found out at that he was using drugs and I became very scared for the safety of my family. We ended up being kicked out of our home and I had to move back to my parents’ house with my children. I started working a cleaning job so I could provide food for them.
My husband’s behavior only got worse, he tried to sell one of my son’s for money, and that’s when I realized I needed to leave him. I applied for a divorce and I got custody of the children.
At the same time, I learned about the UN and applied for a Canadian citizenship. I was told that we had to wait four years until they could help. Those four years were very hard for me. I struggled as a single mother to feed my children and we ended up being forced to leave to another neighborhood because I wouldn’t accept the marriage to another man. I constantly fought with my father because I needed help but he told me I’d made a choice to be on my own.
One day, I met an Iranian woman who was very rich and I told her my story. She gave me a room to live and said I could clean her house and she would give me money and give me food. I worked that job for two years and then finally the UN called and I was so happy. Three months later, we had passports and we moved to Canada. It was so amazing.
Now I drive, I have a job, a job where people really like me and they're happy with me. I really like my job. My kids, the oldest finished Grade 12 and now he wants to go to University. My youngest is so happy and he plays basketball.
It was hard for me to communicate at first because I couldn't speak English but I learned how to speak through a program at Open Door Society and they were all so nice to me. The people have been so friendly here and I feel happy and calm living in Canada.