Wexford soccer group helps refugee youth adjust to life in Toronto

One soccer group in the Scarborough suburb of Wexford is helping make the move to Toronto a little easier for refugees and other newcomers.

“The area that we’re in, we have a lot of families, refugees and newcomers who have settled here. Some are very recent refugees and newcomers, some have come five to 10 years ago. But it’s a very populated area and not enough programs,” explains Mohazzama Muhtaj, program director and manager of the Scarborough Simbas.

“There’s amazing soccer clubs in the area. However, none of them are free of cost. We want to bridge that gap that exists and create these opportunities for the kids to feel welcome and have access to football, which is an amazing universal sport.”

Simbas is run by Muslim Children’s Aid and Support Services. Local kids have been participating in the free program every summer since 2020. The team started with 20 to 30 participants, but it’s now grown to 200. 

Co-founder Karen Scott says the program gives children a sense of belonging and acceptance in a team and in the community.

“It gives the children and youth a chance to make new friends, feel welcome – feel as though they are in a safe environment because they are and really a chance to find themselves again,” Scott says. “To rebuild their identity and who they are and a sense of resilience.”

Elesar Aljawabrih, 11, came to Canada from Syria by way of Jordan in 2016. She’s played with the Simbas for four years.

“When I play soccer, it makes me feel happy and motivated,” Aljawabrih says. “My coaches motivate me because when I do something wrong, they tell me to try and try again.”

A 2014 study by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship suggests 69 per cent of newcomers feel that sports helped them learn about Canadian culture during their first three years here. 

Mariam Omayan, Aljawabrih’s mother, has found her own sense of community with the Simbas. 

“When I came here, I [didn’t] have any friends. I [didn’t] know anyone here and my kids, too – they [didn’t] know anyone,” Omayan says. “I found the program and I came here for the first time. I feel like safe and comfortable. I found a big family here.”