Nasreen
Nasreen was only 7 when her parents were killed before her eyes in Afghanistan. Her only living relative was her teenaged uncle. Together they fled to a refugee camp and within a year found themselves in Canada, newcomers sponsored by a Toronto church.
Once in Toronto, Nasreen was diagnosed with a blood disorder that required her to be taken to the Hospital for Sick Children every couple of weeks for a blood transfusion. The local Afghani community did not embrace the newcomers. Parents feared that her disorder might be contagious at worse or unlucky at best and would not let their children play with her.
When Nasreen joined the Moorelands BLAST After-school program she was very shy and quiet and did not have a single friend. To watch her alone in the school yard was enough to break your heart. Over time, she gained confidence working with other children on arts and crafts projects and taking turns reading. As the other children got to know her, they began to accept her. The mothers picking their children up from the After-school program also began to notice her and one mother gave her daughter permission to become friends with Nasreen. It was the first friend Nasreen made in Canada and her smile told everyone how important it was.