“Baby Shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo …”
Lubna Sadek, youth group facilitator at the New Canadians Centre in Peterborough, got to know the viral children’s hit song “Baby Shark” really well this summer.
She sang it every day when she visited newcomer families in isolation online and in person.
“Baby Shark is a song about bringing families together, helping them stay connected especially when they feel alone,” Sadek says. “As it turns out, it is a favourite among newcomer children as it helps them learn language. And it makes them really happy when they sing it.”
VIDEO: “Together, even when we’re apart” – New Canadians Centre
Staying together when we’re asked to keep apart is a challenge for everyone, but especially for people from other countries who now call Canada home.
Through the generous support of the community, the New Canadians Centre — a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers in the Peterborough and Northumberland regions — has been able to move forward during the pandemic with programs for newcomers and refugees to keep them connected and to develop language and skills for success.
The centre’s long-standing women’s group, which includes women from all over the world who have made their home in Peterborough and have developed strong friendships, has moved online. New Canadians Centre staff deliver kits so the women can continue to meet weekly and bond over crafts and baking. These are important connections that support both language learning and a sense of belonging among newcomers.
Newcomer youth also continue to connect online to explore opportunities for education and employment and to develop the skills they need to be successful.
Over the summer, the New Canadians Centre’s newcomer youth group hosted Instagram Live sessions each week, providing an opportunity for youth to come together and engage in activities from painting to yoga to baking and online games.
Also over the summer, thanks to community support, New Canadians Centre staff delivered care packages of food staples and drawings and letters to migrant farm workers, letting them know that the community is grateful for all they do.
VIDEO: Steve and Ibrahim on Instagram Live – New Canadians Centre
Community support has also helped newcomer women step up during the pandemic, sewing caps and masks for frontline healthcare workers at a crucial time and putting to good use the skills they have developed from sewing training.
It’s clear that a gift to the New Canadians Centre impacts the lives of many people in our community.
“Because of your ongoing generosity, newcomer families are not isolated,” Sadek says. “They are hopeful. They are working towards their future.”
As Baby Shark joyfully sings when he is together again with all of his family, “Safe at Last, doo doo doo doo doo doo …”
“That’s what a gift to New Canadians Centre looks like,” Sadek says. “It’s how you can change lives when we are together, and even when we are apart.”
To help the New Canadians Centre continue to bring joy to newcomers and their families through these uncertain times, please consider making a gift this holiday season at nccpeterborough.ca/support-the-ncc/.
This story was developed in partnership with the New Canadians Centre.
