TORONTO -- A Syrian refugee living in Toronto is paying it forward by working at the same hotel where he was housed when he first arrived in Canada.
Khaled al-Mouktaran and his family arrived in Canada in 2016 as refugees fleeing civil war in Syria in search of a better life.
鈥淚n the first few days in the country, you鈥檙e scared,鈥� he told 麻豆影视. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know what to do, you don鈥檛 know how to act, you don鈥檛 know how to talk.鈥�
He and his family were first housed in a Toronto hotel while they figured out a more permanent housing situation.
鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 much to do,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had a small window where I spent most of my time sitting just watching the new country from the other side, trying to see whatever was happening on the new peaceful side.鈥�
Al-Mouktaran began learning English while staying in the hotel, and during this time also learned some other customs surrounding life in Canada.
鈥淲e learned that if you ever feel unsafe you call 911,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 couple of minutes later we had firefighters, paramedics, police officers all around the building, but no one ever found out that we did it.鈥�
During this trying time, al-Mouktaran said the volunteers and hotel staff made the transition into Canadian life easier.
鈥淚 really liked the community we had there,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e had a great community.鈥�
Al-Mouktaran鈥檚 family eventually found a more permanent home and moved out of the hotel. Five years later, he is back at the hotel to help those who need it.
鈥淚 know what it means to be homeless,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know what it means to be a refugee. I know how hard it is and how no one really wants to be in the system.鈥�
Al-Mouktaran has found the job so rewarding that he鈥檚 considering going to school for social work.
鈥淪ometimes I do a 16-hour shift or long shifts, but when you go home at the end of the day and put your head on the pillow, what you did really makes you happy,鈥� he said.
