As a young immigrant to Canada, I often reflect on my emigration from my country of birth to Canada when I was a child. My grandmother, parents, brother and I moved to Canada when I was very young and at the risk of giving away my age, I spent a vast majority of my life in Canada for 25 years until I moved to Ghana 9 years ago. A question that always stayed with me is whether Canada was for me.
Was it difficult to leave my country of birth and nationality? Of course it was.
Was it difficult to adjust to a nation that was entirely different from the one I had known? Most definitely.
Did I crave to go back home and meet the people and eat the foods and walk the streets that were most familiar? 100%
BUT, there is another important side to the coin as well…
When I ask myself the question: what is the best gift that my parents have ever given me? The answer is a decisive one, hands down…they brought me to Canada.
Canada is a country that gave my family equal opportunities and a good welcome. While there are now many amazing opportunities in my home country, at the time of our emigration, it was not possible for a majority of professionals to access the kinds of jobs, salary and quality of work and life that they deserved. My home country had a small and very affluent upper class, a small middle class and a large population of those who did not fare all that well.
Therefore, going to school, working hard and putting in all your efforts, did not translate to the employment opportunities and quality of life that were deserved by many. It would break your heart to see how hard someone worked and how their potential was not being appreciated or realized.
This is where Canada was great for my family. The moment we moved to Canada, my brother and I were able to get a high quality education and my parents had access to decent jobs. I attended good public schools in safe neighbourhoods and had access to any university I wished to study at, including schools that are well-known and well-respected globally. My parents were able to buy a home within a few years of moving to Canada thanks to their ability to save and also access reliable credit facilities and a mortgage. Life was peaceful, predictable and fair. Within a few years of entering Canada, we all gained Canadian citizenship and the beautiful passports that come with it.
While many immigrants go through many challenges when they move to a new country, I remember one thing…nothing in life that’s worth it, comes easy. If we want to put the work into a situation or a goal, it will be challenging, but it will be worthwhile. For my parents, the work that they put in to move us to a new country is one of the best things they ever did for us. Canada gave me the confidence that if I want to realize my potential, then I can. It is within my reach. And for that I will always be grateful.
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