WINNIPEG — A near death experience and lifelong injuries were part of the sacrifice for a life in Canada.
Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal fled from Ghana. On Christmas Eve, they embarked on a journey from North Dakota to Manitoba on foot. They were unaware of how dangerous the frigid conditions would be as they trekked through waist deep snow.
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“The doctor says I’m going to lose my fingers or my arms,” Mohammed said.
They said if it wasn’t for a Canadian truck driver who stopped for them and called 9-1-1, they would have died.
“We were all crying because he saved our life,” Iyal said.
According to the Ghanaian Union of Manitoba, the Ghanaian community in Winnipeg is very small, totaling just under 1,000 people. However, they’ve still been a huge support to the two men while they recover at the Health Sciences Centre.
“They are afraid for their lives and don’t want to be deported back to Ghana,” Maggie Yeboah with the Ghanian Union said.
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Yeboah has been bringing them traditional lunches every day, and even offered her home for when they’ve made a full recovery. They’ve started a Go Fund Me and are asking the community to come together to get the two men settled in their new home.
They said they dream of living and working in Canada.
“I won’t have arms, so I won’t be able to play soccer,” Mohammed said. “But I want to get the coaching licence, and start coaching kids.”
No act of kindness is going unnoticed along their journey.
“I’ve been to South America, Central America, North America and I’ve never seen a good people, like the people of Canada,” Iyal said.
The two men are still waiting to hear if their case will be heard.