The World University Service of Canada Student Refugee Program (WUSC SRP) recently honoured Trent University’s WUSC SRP Committee as Local Committee of the Year during the WUSC and CECI International Forum in Ottawa.

A first for Trent’s Student Refugee Program (SRP), the award recognizes the committee’s outstanding achievements in recruiting, supporting, and transitioning student refugees into university and Canadian life. Trent WUSC SRP was selected out of the 63 other SRP programs at universities across Canada.

"The Local Committee of the Year Award is proof that students can make a tremendous impact in whatever they put their minds to. This award motivates us to keep growing and striving for bigger and better achievements, and reminds us that it does not matter how big our committee is or how many resources we have, because grassroots work will always be rewarding,” says Dorothy Cheng, co-chair of WUSC at Trent and third-year History and English student. “This is an award that is to be shared with the committee executives who have come before us, and also with the departments at Trent University who have collaborated with us to make our SRP program one of the best."

Started in 1980, the SRP program at Trent is an entirely volunteer student run initiative that has supported nearly 50 students from over 10 different countries, including South Africa, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria, among others. Today, Trent WUSC sponsors up to three SRP students per year by helping ensure a smooth immigration process, housing when they arrive at Trent, course registration, and assistance with managing their overall transition into Canadian and university life.

Through the program, described by an anonymous SRP student at Trent as “a life-changing and hope-giving project for a prosperous life,” approximately $30,000 is needed to sponsor one student for one year. The program is supported by all students at Trent through a levy fee. Trent WUSC also raises funds for the SRP program through various fundraising initiatives held throughout the year.

To continue to build on the great work done by Trent WUSC, the committee is developing a Legacy Project in the form of a documentary to showcase the lives of refugees in Peterborough with an emphasis on Trent’s SRP students and the role the program plays. The goal of the documentary is to put a human face on refugee issues and highlight the challenges of transitioning into a new community, while also showcasing the rewards and successes experienced by former refugees.

A screening of the documentary, featuring a panel discussion, is currently being planned by Trent WUSC.