Strong, Resilient, and Canadian: Khadija’s Journey to Citizenship
Originally from Syria, Khadija arrived in Canada in 2015 as a refugee alongside her mother. Like many newcomers, her biggest challenge first stepping into Canada was learning a new language, a barrier made greater by her visual impairment, which left her facing both a literacy challenge and a physical one. Khadija spent the first few years of her life in Saskatoon very isolated while living in an unfamiliar city that felt largely inaccessible, dependent on her elderly mother and disconnected from her community.
A turning point for Khadija was meeting Muna, one of GGP’s Client Services Coordinators, in 2017, who recognized the kind of support Khadija needed. Muna introduced her to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), hoping it would help draw her out of her shell and create an accessible way for her to succeed in GGP’s LINC language classes. Khadija was able to successfully apply for funding with CNIB, allowing her to fully participate in LINC classes with a dedicated tutor.
This led to a dedicated team that, moving forward, met monthly with Khadija: Muna, her English tutor, her English teachers Bob and Larraine, and CNIB staff member Julie. This group helped to set goals, celebrate progress, and plan the next steps. They practised making doctor’s appointments, booking transit, and navigating everyday life in a new country, while CNIB provided assistive devices and resources to support her independence in Saskatoon.
Following her connection with CNIB and involvement with GGP’s case management team, Khadija’s confidence and independence grew as she began to navigate life in Saskatoon with greater ease. She developed an understanding of how to access services and supports in a new country, successfully worked her way from our literacy level English classes all the way up to CLB 4, and was able to advocate for herself.
In 2024, Khadija began studying for her Canadian Citizenship Test, choosing to pursue the test rather than the route of a medical exemption. Unable to read in either official language, she relied entirely on memory and verbal practice. Khadija worked tirelessly throughout this process with GGP staff and volunteers to review the information for the in-person exam. Staff explained confusing questions, introduced memory techniques, and helped her connect related concepts, while she dedicated herself fully to practising and retaining the information.
Khadija’s persistence paid off as she proudly passed the test on her third attempt in 2025 and, this January, took her citizenship oath virtually from Global Gathering Place, the community where she feels most supported. For her, this was more than an academic achievement. It was a moment of confidence, independence, and inclusion. Passing meant she could finally apply for a Canadian passport, something she had long dreamed of, and it also opened the door to reconnecting with family members abroad after many years of separation.
Khadija’s journey reflects the incredible resilience of those who navigate multiple barriers at once, and the life-changing difference that encouragement, personalized strategies, community support, and genuine belief in a person can make. She is, as those who know her will tell you, strong, resourceful, devoted, and most recently, Canadian.
