Building bridges to social inclusion : 2009 working paper series

This research study provides a closer insight into background, experiences, and new challenges faced by one of the African refugee groups: the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan. This study used qualitative interviews and narrative inquiry to understand the barriers and challenges of twenty members of the Lost Boys and Girls Community in Winnipeg. Teachers, counselors, and community workers who have worked with this refugee Community in Winnipeg were also interviewed. A survey was also distributed to 100 Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan community members to further investigate their adaptation to life in Winnipeg since their arrival in 2002. Adult learning and literacy theories were used as a theoretical base to interpret and understand the challenges experiences by many of the adults. This study found that successful integration into different dimensions of Canadian life challenge educational and settlement agencies and providers to examine critically their programs and resources to ensure that they are meeting the changing settlement needs. In general, a clash between the high expectations that many of the adult refugees had of Canada and the difficulties involved in establishing a new life in Canada was an additional source of stress. Despite the loss and hardship that so many young men and women from the South Sudan experienced, they also demonstrated resilience in facing new experiences and challenges in Canada.