Zahra Batool

Due to religious threats to our lives, I left Pakistan with my two daughters in 2015. For the next seven years, we waited in Indonesia, first trying to get refugee status and then looking for sponsors to immigrate here. All this while, I kept dreaming of a safe life where my kids could go to school and I legally work. Approval of our permanent residence application was surely our ticket to freedom, but I had no clue about the hardships of settling in Canada. At this critical point, the information sessions at CCSYR were beneficial. One particular session on driving in Canada changed my life. Considering my driving experience in small towns in Pakistan, the road signs and traffic laws here gave me cold feet whenever I thought of applying for a driving license. However, this session’s speaker shared exam tips and motivated us to take the G1 test. And guess what? I passed the written test on the first attempt. I’m hoping to get my license soon and drive again. The CCSYR staff also told me about the government grants for education. I’m now studying a nursing course with financial assistance and want to repay the community with my work.