Many of you know that we are sponsoring a woman and her son to come to Canada. We began working on this sponsorship in 2021/22 for an Eritrean refugee abandoned with child in Sudan, submitting all documents in 2022. For lack of food, water and safety, they had to flee Sudan in the summer of 2023 and God brought them safely to Uganda.

Please join us in praying for them—that God would provide for their needs, open doors for stability, and bring His mercy into their situation.

Here is a recent update on their status:

March 2025

Our refugee family is now living on their own in Kampala, Uganda since the family they were staying with has moved on to England. Salamwet now has to pay the rent, which is $300 US, until she's able to find something cheaper while waiting to be cleared to come to Canada. 

If there are people who feel led to donate any amount towards rent costs for our family (not tax deductible), kindly contact Leanne Hers or Judi Menard. Please note that their rent is due at the end of the month so please have your gifts sent to Judi by the 28th of each month if you would like it to go towards that specific month's rent.

Salamwet and her family greatly appreciate any help we can offer them. Thank you for your prayers and support! 

In September 2024, ECC’s sponsorship of this family was approved by Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada BUT she is still awaiting final approval processing from the Canadian visa office abroad (including interview, medical exams, and security screening) before she can fly.

Below is some information and actions steps sent to us by World Renew, the organization we are partnering with in this sponorship.  Please consider taking action. 

A plan of action from World Renew.

As many of you know the federal government announced its “Immigration Levels plan”, which revealed deeply disheartening cuts to the number of refugees that will arrive in Canada in 2025 and in the years to come. 

In anticipation of the release of this levels plan, World Renew collaborated with the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue to send a letter to Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller, to encourage the government to continue to strengthen its refugee protection and resettlement systems. 

After the levels were released, World Renew sent another letter expressing our disappointment in the drop in planned numbers of refugee arrivals over the next several years. These changes deeply impact you as our sponsors and, more importantly, the refugees you are sponsoring, who are waiting for many years in vulnerable situations.  

We are now inviting you to take action with us by sending a letter to your Member of Parliament and meeting personally with them if you feel able. 

You can use the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue’s Action Centre which will send the letter automatically. 

If you feel able to meet with your MP directly, we also encourage you to do so, as personal conversation is a powerful way to share your story and invite your MP to advocate with you. 

Another helpful resource is our Advocacy 101 booklet, which is a collaboration between World Renew, the Centre for Public Dialogue, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and the Centre for Public Dialogue. It contains excellent tips for contacting and/or meeting with your MP, and you can use it as a PDF at the link provided above or request to have copies sent to you.