From loss to love: Kenyi’s story of resilience and kindness 

Kenyi Amal’s journey to Canada is not just one of immigration but of resilience, survival, and transformation.

Her story begins in South Sudan, a country scarred by conflict and violence. After losing her partner in the war and living with a disability caused by an accident that left her leg paralyzed, Kenyi faced unimaginable hardship.

“I had an accident long ago that left me with a paralyzed left leg, giving me this disability,” shares Kenyi. “Life was so difficult back then.”

In 2016, determined to protect her six children and give them hope for a safer future, Kenyi made the difficult decision to move to Uganda. There, her family could begin to heal from the trauma of war. Life remained a daily struggle, but her determination to provide her children with opportunities she never had gave her strength. A new chapter began in November 2024, when she and her children arrived in Halifax. She remembers vividly how overwhelmed she felt, not just by the icy air, but by the warmth of the welcome she received. A kind woman greeted her with a smile, offering not just a hand of friendship but the first perception of the kindness that would come to define her new life in Canada.

“I was shivering from the cold, but I felt so warm in my heart,” Kenyi recalls. “It was the kindness that I could not have expected. It made all the difference.”

At ISANS, Kenyi and her family were introduced to refugee resettlement services and the Immigrant Health and Disability (IH&D) Program. For her, IH&D became a lifeline, helping her navigate the Canadian healthcare system and ensuring her family received the support they needed.

“ISANS helped us adjust to the cold weather, but more than that, they helped me see that there are people in this world who care for others, especially those who have struggled like I have,” Kenyi says with a grateful smile.

Everywhere she went, Kenyi was amazed by the kindness she encountered and the way she was treated. In other countries where she had lived, people with disabilities were often ignored or overlooked. But in Canada, she felt respected, seen and valued.

“I have travelled to many countries like Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, and everywhere I went, I always wondered, ‘Why are people here in Canada so kind and loving toward people with disabilities?” she reflects. “It’s like they see you for who you truly are.”

Her children too have embraced their new lives, thriving in school and exploring opportunities never available to them before. Kenyi is especially moved by how the education system in Canada focuses on nurturing children to be good human beings. She could see her kids growing in ways that gave her hope for their future.

“Here, children are treated with so much care,” she says, her voice filled with pride. “It’s a place where they are allowed to be themselves, to learn, and to grow.”

For Kenyi, it is often the small, everyday gestures that mean the most — a neighbour helping her onto a bus, someone offering a smile, or strangers treating her with dignity.“I cry almost every day,” she admits, her voice trembling with emotion. “People stand up for me when I travel, and they communicate with me with so much love. It never feels like I am isolated. Here, people with disabilities are given so much value. In the past, I felt invisible, like I wasn’t considered a human being. But here, I am seen.”

Kenyi’s story is one of immense courage and strength, but above all, it is a story of deep gratitude. Halifax has given her family not only safety, but also a chance to heal and belong.

“ISANS and the people of Canada have made my transition easier, but more importantly, they have shown me the power of compassion and kindness,” Kenyi says. “People like them make the world a better place. May God bless them for all their help and kindness.”