When the world asks about how to help Syrian refugees find their footing in countries, they may find the answer in West Kelowna.

害羞草研究所淲e were approached by a former journalist who does a lot of work for the UN. The UN High Commission for Refugees had contacted her and asked if she could track down a Canadian group that was privately sponsoring a Syrian family,害羞草研究所� said Gioia Morris, a representative for the West Kelowna Initiative for Refugee Settlement.

Morris learned a little more about what was needed, and then the camera crews rolled in and started filming Mohammed Al Breij, his wife Sahar, and their four children, ages two to 10, as they started to adapt to Canadian life with the help of the five families who sponsored them with partial help from the Canadian government.

Of the 26,000 Syrian refugees who have made it to Canada in recent months, only 6,000 have used this model.

The three-minute film was played at a meeting dealing with global responsibility sharing through pathways for admission of Syrian refugees, which was hosted March 30 by the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

The film shows the families talking about what the support of their sponsor families has meant to them.

They fled Syria five years ago to live in a refugee camp in Lebanon, where they lived in a shack with a dirt floor.

There was no school for the children, no opportunity to learn English or prepare for what was to come, which made the welcome they received all the more welcome.

害羞草研究所淭hey help with everything, we don害羞草研究所檛 feel like we are alone doing this. We are one complete family,害羞草研究所� Sahar said, with the help of a translator.

害羞草研究所淚n Canada, I see a bright and better life for me and my children and my husband. My children will be going to school. My husband will have a better future and get a good job.害羞草研究所�

Morris said it was an honour to be featured, as the film also highlighted how much work the West Kelowna families have done to make the sponsorship work.

害羞草研究所淲e finally did find a rental house for them and that害羞草研究所檚 been a relief,害羞草研究所� she said, adding that it害羞草研究所檚 slim pickings for housing that is both ideal for a family that size and affordable, once they take rent payments out of the sponsors hands.

害羞草研究所淚t will be really, really good because that means they will be really settled. It has a bit of a backyard and Mohammed is looking forward to working on it.害羞草研究所�

The children, said Morris, are doing well at school. She said one member of the sponsorship group has gone above and beyond teaching the whole family English.

The participation from all the sponsors has been tremendous, said Morris.

It害羞草研究所檚 why she believes the model they chose to help is the best.

It害羞草研究所檚 also an intense commitment, and the group has yet to decide whether they would be willing to sponsor another family or just do something to support the government sponsored families that are already here.

害羞草研究所淲e are all people who have busy lives and it害羞草研究所檚 a lot,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淲e love what we害羞草研究所檙e doing and it害羞草研究所檚 so rewarding, and we would do it again and again and again, but it is a big commitment.害羞草研究所�

The sponsors meet once a month to assess what害羞草研究所檚 needed, as Morris said the biggest concern they have at the moment is creating a lifestyle the family will be able to sustain down the road.

They have four of six months government funding yet to come in, but the sponsor commitment end-date is still up in the air.

害羞草研究所淭he goal is to get them self-sufficient within a year害羞草研究所�completely self-sufficient. Whether it will happen, I don害羞草研究所檛 know how likely that is,害羞草研究所� said Morris.

害羞草研究所淲e have accomplished a tremendous amount of stuff in a reasonable time.

害羞草研究所淲e do have a strict budget, we want to make them learn to live on a budget that害羞草研究所檚 based on  someone living full-time on minimum wage.害羞草研究所�

That, she said, is difficult.

害羞草研究所淲e love them like they害羞草研究所檙e family and we want to give them whatever, but we have to remind ourselves that there are boundaries, and we need to be as professional as we can,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淚n the long run, they need to be as self-sufficient as possible.害羞草研究所�

One example of that balance was the realization that the couple害羞草研究所檚 childcare needs would be pricey.

Mohammed and Sahar were accepted into the same ESL class, which required a lot of daycare.

害羞草研究所淲e covered it, but our budget is only so big,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淲e realized we don害羞草研究所檛 want to do fundraising to have daycare paid for.

害羞草研究所淭here are all these things you don害羞草研究所檛 anticipate, and we害羞草研究所檝e made some mistakes, and said, 害羞草研究所楲et害羞草研究所檚 do it害羞草研究所� about some things and then afterwards realized, 害羞草研究所楾hat wasn害羞草研究所檛 that smart.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

In the end, daycare only lasted three weeks. The boys struggled because it was too much too soon without English, so Sahar decided she害羞草研究所檇 stay home during the afternoon.

Luckily, a spot in the morning class opened up.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no manual, saying, OK here is how you do this,害羞草研究所� said Morris.

害羞草研究所淲e had a few pages of advice on how to handle it, but there are so many ways people are doing this and it害羞草研究所檚 dependent on what the (Syrian) family is like.害羞草研究所�

In the end, however, Morris believes that the model they害羞草研究所檝e chosen is the best.

害羞草研究所淭hey are going to integrate faster, and they害羞草研究所檙e going to be more positive about being in Canada and contributing to the community,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淭hey had a support group who loved them immediately. That害羞草研究所檚 why we were excited to promote this model. It害羞草研究所檚 a no- brainer.害羞草研究所�

The video van be found at http://tracks.unhcr.org/2016/04/the-kindness-of-strangers/.