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A teenager who came to Halifax as a Syrian refugee in 2016 has had her wish come true – she met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday in Ottawa.
Marwa Harb, 16, thanked Trudeau for his push to take in Syrian refugees and for changing her life for the better.
“He hugged us a lot,” Harb described the meeting on Friday in Dartmouth.
READ MORE: New Canadians extend their appreciation to Halifax by celebrating Syrian culture
The meeting was orchestrated by the Children’s Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to Canadian citizens and permanent residents between the ages of three and 17, who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
Harb, who has congenital myopathy — a disease affecting muscle fibres — and severe scoliosis, said Trudeau is “a very nice man” and “humble.”
She gave Trudeau a picture she drew of him.
READ MORE: Syrian refugees and local supporters in Halifax cooking up a way to give back
Harb and her nine other family members left Syria in 2013 and stayed in a refugee camp in Jordan before coming to Canada.
“My house, like, was torn by the war,” Harb said.
She said she was scared people wouldn’t be nice to her in Canada, but that was not the case.
The only difficulty has been adapting to the “crazy” weather.
Her brother, Rafat, is an owner of Piece of the East. The business, which launched earlier in the year, uses food that would otherwise have been thrown out (due to lack of usage) to create Syrian desserts.
Part of the proceeds of the social enterprise goes to a changing list of organizations the owners believe make a difference in communities. Currently, 10 per cent of proceeds are going to the Children’s Wish Foundation.
READ MORE: Syrian refugees upcycle food for new Halifax desserts business
Harb said she wants to volunteer with the foundation, and her positive experience in Canada has inspired a career path.
“I want to be a lawyer because I want to help the people, all the people, and to make everyone happy,” she said.
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