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Syrian refugee flees certain death, begins new life in Kitchener

Jackie Sharkey | CBC News | Posted: January 4, 2016 11:00 AM | Last Updated: January 4, 2016

Image | Mervan Matini and Azam Fouk Aladeh

Caption: Azam Fouk Aladeh only had enough money to sponsor one member of his wife's family to come to Canada from Syria. Mervan Matini, 21, was chosen. He was a peaceful activist and journalist who fled the country after seeing all of his friends killed. Now Matini is eager to start a new life in Kitchener, and dreams of becoming a engineer. (Melanie Ferrier/CBC)

After every one of Mervan Matini's friends were captured and killed in Syria, he and his family knew it was time to escape the embattled country.
They fled to Jordan but had only enough money to sponsor one family member. Matini, 21, was chosen and he arrived on Oct. 20, 2015.
Matini immediately began to learn English and upgrade his high school credit. He hopes to become an engineer and bring the rest of his family to Canada.
Hear his incredible story, as told to The Morning Edition's Craig Norris. Their conversation was translated by Matini's uncle, Azam Fouk Aladeh.

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