http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/americas/95228-151210-can-t-wait-to-be-your-friend-canadian-children-say-to-welcome-syrian-refugees
First planeload expected to land in Toronto Thursday night as Canada plans to absorb 25,000 refugees
Hours before the first planeload of Syrian refugees is expected to touch down at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, a video of schoolchildren welcoming their new neighbors went viral.
In a heartwarming video released by World Vision, over a dozen school children welcome the refugees with a loud "Welcome to Canada!"
Hugh Brewster, the national manager for Canadian programs at World Vision told the Toronto Star that the children, who spoke in French, Arabic, Spanish, felt that they needed to make their new friends "feel welcome."
Their messages, which was collected by World Vision and complied in two days, included one girl saying that "it’s a very nice place here. There’s no war, you can go to school safely."
"Everyone likes Canada because we have all four seasons," said one boy, standing in front of a hockey net.
Screengrab
Screengrab
"Welcome to Canada!"
"There’s food, there’s toys, there’s clothing; there’s everything you need here,"said another girl.
"I want to be your best friend" said yet another girl, whose message was followed by a young boy who said that he hopes that "you live near us."
One older boy sent a message saying that he "can't imagine what you have been through, welcome to Canada."
"There’s something so overwhelming and touching in seeing how kids respond to the idea of people being forced to flee their country," Brewster told the
I wonder how many of these kids will be alive by the end of next year? Or the ones making these kids say these things? You know many of the 25k will come here.
