“If you save one human, it’s like you save all humanity,” says Afghan refugee
“When Jim said, ‘I’m Jim,’ I just grabbed him,” said Saeed Ahmed Zirai. “I was so happy.”
After days of travel across continents, Saeed arrived at the airport in Winnipeg exhausted, overwhelmed and ready to start over in Canada.
Waiting for him was Jim Mair, a volunteer with the group who sponsored Saeed, along with members of Winnipeg’s Afghan community who had come to welcome him.
“They are like family,” he says.
But his journey to that moment began long before the airport.
Growing up in Afghanistan
Saeed grew up in a small village in Afghanistan’s Zabul province, in the southern part of the country near the border with Pakistan, where life revolved around family, farming and community. But in August 2021, as the Taliban took control of the country, everything changed.
“I was just running to save my life,” he says.
After learning he was at risk because of his work supporting education — including for women and girls — Saeed had to flee. Under cover of darkness, he walked more than 50 kilometres to cross the border into Pakistan.
“You are leaving your home, your mother, your family … I can’t describe that moment,” he said.
In Pakistan, he found temporary safety but no certainty about the future. That changed when Saeed was connected to a refugee sponsorship opportunity in Canada
Arriving in Canada
Saeed was welcomed through a local church sponsorship group, the North End Sponsorship Team (NEST), working in partnership with Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR).
CLWR has supported refugees since 1946 and has been a sponsorship agreement holder with the federal government since 1979 when it began. Through the program, churches and community groups commit to supporting a variety of daily needs for one year from the day refugees arrive including providing financial support, temporary housing, language and school registration and more.
Through CLWR’s refugee resettlement program, Saeed was one of 199 people who started over in Canada in 2025.For Saeed, getting the hands-on support from a sponsorship group was essential.
Jim, NEST chairperson and refugee co-ordinator, recalls the first moment he saw him: “Given what I knew about Saeed and his circumstances, it was heartwarming to see him come down the escalator. He was also welcomed by others from the Afghan community here in Winnipeg.”
Jim has volunteered with NEST since 1998 and has greeted many newcomers at the airport.
“I have been volunteering for so long because we have a chance to help people get out of serious and dangerous situations and start a new life in Canada,” he says.
Although Saeed’s sponsorship began in early 2023, bureaucratic and logistical processes delayed his arrival until late September 2024.
Since arriving, Saeed has taken important steps toward independence. He found work in a warehouse shortly after arrival — he says this was another step toward building stability in Canada.
“Getting work was a big achievement,” Saeed said. “My family was depending on me.”
Now, he is working toward re-certifying in IT, hoping to build a career in networking, drawing on his background in computer science.
“Canada is a land of opportunity,” he says. “If you work hard, you can reach your goals.”
Family and hope
While Saeed continues building his life in Canada, his journey is not complete. His wife and baby son remain in Pakistan, waiting to join him.
When Saeed arrived in Canada, he had to leave them behind — a reality many refugees face. Within his first year, he submitted an application to bring them to safety through what is known as the One-Year Window program. The application was filed on July 4, 2025, and approved just weeks later, confirming his wife and son’s eligibility to come to Canada. However, there are several steps that need to be completed before they can travel, including background and security checks, medical exams and final paperwork that will allow that to make the journey to join Saeed in Winnipeg.
So, for now, he waits.
“I just want to see them,” he says.
Despite the uncertainty, that hope keeps him moving forward — working and building a life he dreams of one day sharing with them.
Duane and Miless Kelln of the local church sponsorship group NEST gather with Saeed shortly after his arrival, welcoming him with a beautifully prepared Afghan meal as they begin supporting him in his new start. (Photo courtesy of Jim Mair)
Why sponsorship matters
Saeed’s story is one of many made possible through CLWR’s refugee resettlement program. With the support of churches and community groups across Canada, hundreds of individuals each year move from displacement to permanent residence, gaining safety, stabilityand the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
And as refugees arrive, their connection with volunteers often grows into relationships that go far beyond the sponsorship itself.
“I have made many lifelong friends through sponsorship, and they have contributed greatly to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Canada,” says Jim. “Sponsorship gives people not just resources, but relationships. It makes a real difference in the community.”
Giving back
One day, Saeed hopes to become a sponsor himself.
“If you save one human, it’s like you save all humanity,” he says.
It’s a belief shaped by experience — and by the people who helped him find safety, peace and a new beginning in Canada.
“Because of them, I am here,” Saeed says. “They gave me a new life.”
Top image caption: Saeed Ahmed stands with Jim Mair, chairperson of the North End Sponsorship Team (NEST), whose support helped him begin a new life in Canada. (Photo courtesy of Jim Mair)