Trinity United honours refugees in a special Black History Month service

Mar 01, 2012

Photo: Linda Brown with special guests Robert, Emmanuel and John who each spoke of their experience as refugees from Ghana at Trinity United Church in recognition of Black History Month

Three former refugees from the West African country of Ghana, Robert Nyarkoh, Emmanuel Bruce and John Babatunde were invited to participate in a special service at Trinity United Church in Verona on Feb. 26, by their long time friend, Verona resident and church member Linda Brown. All three are now Canadian citizens and reside in the GTA.

The special service fittingly opened with four members of the church choir singing “Ghana Alleluia”. Robert then read a prayer in his native language Fanti. Next they were introduced by their hostess Linda, who invited the children at the service to sit up front to hear first hand the types of childhood these three men, now husbands with children of their own, experienced in their West African homeland decades ago. Each spoke simply of growing up barefoot and having to travel to school three miles each way. They also had to borrow clothes from their parents.

The three men did not know each other in Ghana. They all arrived in Canada in their early 20s and each was a refugee who fled from the unrest and violence resulting from the country’s third military coup d'état. The coup was led by Lt. Jerry John Rawlings who ruled the country first as a military dictator in 1979, then from 1981-1992 and then as the first elected president of Ghana's Fourth Republic from 1993-2001.

The three spoke of the fear they experienced back in 1979, when officials were being executed and other civilians were being arrested, or were simply disappearing following the coup. They each spoke about having no choice but to leave their homeland and families behind. They left with no money and no contacts but in Emmanuel’s words, “by the grace of God” they each managed to find safety and eventual happiness in Canada.

It took them years to reach Canada; they each spent time in other countries along the way including, Egypt, Syria and Nigeria. They eventually become acquainted with each other in Toronto at the Bloor Street United Church, where they also met Linda Brown, who at that time was a member of that church. Linda recalled, “It was around that time our minister at the church brought to our attention a young refugee languishing in a jail for the simple reason that he was a refugee. The minister posted the $5,000 bail to get him released and that man became the first Ghanian refugee to become a member of our church. After that we formed a refugee committee to help support other refugees by fostering their lives in our congregation while helping them to get their lives in order. This work went on for 10 years and we worked with refugees from many countries. It was during this time that I met Robert, Emmanuel and John.”

Emmanuel attended school in Tema City in Ghana at Asu Tech, a technical school and he was part of the student union when Rawlings took power in 1979. “At that time a lot of the leaders of the protests of the student union were being arrested and others were disappearing so that was when I felt I had to flee.” He fled first to northern Nigeria, then Syria and finally landed in Montreal before settling in Toronto, where he now has a family and works as a cabinet maker. “We are just so grateful now to be here.”

Linda Brown feels it important to get these men’s stories out. “When you see what is happening with our refugee act now, how the current government is trying to water it down and how they are making it more difficult for refugees to get into the country, especially for those who may not have much money, I feel that it’s very important to remember that there are many refugees in dire need of a safe haven, which Canada has always been and I would hate to see that change. These three men have been a great asset to our country and I feel it’s important for them to tell their stories so others might understand just exactly what many refugees have to struggle through to find a safe haven like the one we have here in Canada.”

Following the service members of the congregation were invited to a lunch and shared stories and learned more of the about lives of the three special guests.