After spending 18 years apart, childhood friends were able to reconnect on a Kelowna soccer field, thanks to the work of the Okanagan Friends of Refugees charity.
Lukas Eaton, and Samuel, who has asked to have his last name redacted for safety concerns, first met in Eritrea when they were in Grade 7, just two young boys who were obsessed with soccer.
Eaton's parents had accepted a two-year opportunity to teach at a school in Eritrea during the early 2000s. During their stint abroad, Eaton and his sister enrolled in the local school – and stuck out like sore thumbs.
"We were probably the first white kids to ever attend that school," said Eaton with a chuckle while seated beside Samuel at a Kelowna coffee shop for an interview with Black Press.
He said that as the only Caucasians in the community, fitting in and making friends was initially hard, especially since he and his sister did not speak any of the local languages.
"He was quite shy," teased Samuel, remembering the awkward 13-year-old he became friends with. "But he was good at soccer."
In Samuel's home country, 'football' transcends language and Eaton was able to use his soccer ball to make friendships that have lasted a lifetime.
"In Eritrea, if you go outside with a soccer ball you'll have 12 friends to play with within 30 minutes," said Eaton.
The friends remained in touch after Eaton returned to B.C., but their once regular communication waned as civil unrest in the horn of Africa grew.
Samuel explained that simply being able to send an email to an old friend became difficult and potentially dangerous due to constant internet and electrical outages and government monitoring.
He had to be very careful sending messages as phone lines, text messages and internet activity are commonly monitored by the dictator-led government and secret police in Eritrea.
"Life in Eritrea is really hard," said Samuel.
Fortunately, Samuel was a strong and hard-working student and graduated at the top of his class. Because of his success in high school and elementary school, he was given the rare opportunity to attend university, where he earned a math degree.
Throughout his adolescence and early adulthood, civil unrest and tensions between the public and government began to rise. Eventually, Samuel and his friends, who were also university-educated, became political targets.
"The government wants a reason to arrest you," said Samuel, about the non-democratic government.
One of his friends, who was outspoken against the government was arrested by the secret police in 2019 and has not been heard from since. This forced Samuel and others in his friend group, who were also in danger, to flee the country.
"It was a matter of life and death," said Samuel.
Samuel asked to keep the details of the situation private, as his family still resides in Eritrea and he fears for their safety.
Eventually, he was able to illegally cross the border into the neighbouring country of Ethiopia, where he lived and worked for five years.
After reaching the safety of Ethiopia, Samuel felt comfortable enough to send a message to Eaton. He was however careful to use vague, coded language, as his phone may have been monitored. While Samuel was temporarily safe from the government of Eritrea, his situation in Ethiopia was not much better due to ongoing conflicts between the two countries.
Eaton read between the lines of his friend's cryptic message, figured out what had happened and took action to get Samuel to safety.
Following in his parents' footsteps, who have been helping people for more than 30 years as the founders of the East Kootenay Friends and Refugees, Eaton established a Friends of Refugees constituent group in the Okanagan.
In addition to learning from his parents, Eaton has past experience helping his friends escape unsafe situations. In 2015, the Eaton family helped another of his former classmates, named Nahom, escape Eritrea.
After years of planning, Eaton was able to sponsor Samuel through Okanagan Friends of Refugees and support his journey to Canada.
Since landing in Kelowna on June 15, Samuel has been able to contact with his family to tell them he is safe. Since his family still resides in Eritrea, Samuel had to be cautious when communicating with them over the past five years, as their phones were likely monitored.
"They are happy I am out of danger," said Samuel. "They were very nervous."
Just 24 hours after arriving in Kelowna, Eaton and Samuel found themselves back on a soccer field, like when they were boys.
Samuel has not had the opportunity to play soccer in years but is excited to join Eaton's weekly recreational team.
He also plans to start work immediately and is thankful for the opportunity to send money home to help support his family.
After years without stable work in Eritrea and then in Ethiopia, Samuel said he is itching to generate an income to support his family.
Eaton, who is now a teacher, hopes to help more people as they are forced to escape unsafe situations.
To support the Okanagan Friends of Refugees, email Lukas Eaton at okanaganfriendsofrefugees@gmail.com.
The Okanagan Friends of Refugees sponsored and supported Samuel's journey from Ethiopia to Canada.
To donate to the Friends of Refugees organization, visit www.canadahelps.org or send an e-transfer to the Friends of Okanagan email.
Donations are used to pay for travel, lodging, paperwork and all other expenses associated with making a refugee claim and resettling in a foreign country.
