John Mochama and Philes Ongori left behind their home country of Kenya to start a new in Canada. Philes is a long-distance championship runner and John Mochama is a teacher. Facing political persecution in their native Kenya, the couple last year sought refuge in Canada, leaving behind their young children.
They now live in a hotel in Niagara Falls, backed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. They yearn for the opportunity to own their own place, to take care of themselves, and to soon be reunited with their children in a new home. “I was aspiring (to get involved in) some politics in Kenya and after the elections of 2022, we were threatened,” said John Mochama, 38.
“When my wife was training … she was confronted by thugs who wanted to kill her and warned her of my political ambitions. They told her that I should not compete in any other coming elections. We realized that our lives were in danger. We decided to make our way here to Canada.”
He said while they miss their kids, who remain in Kenya with family, they’re hopeful they’ll be here soon. In the meantime, the husband-and-wife couple said the “very good people” of Canada have welcomed them with open arms and have made them feel comfortable.
“We’re living in a very big hotel. We’re getting food. We’re getting everything that we have.”
Mochama said he taught for eight years in Kenya, including six years as a university professor. He said he’s now in the process of becoming a teacher here.
Meanwhile, Philes Ongori, 37, has competed in half and full marathon events throughout her 15-year running career, winning several titles along the way.
On Sunday, she beat more than 700 other women to win the annual Toronto Marathon. The weekend before that, she placed second in a half marathon in Mississauga. Ongori said she hopes to compete for Canada in future events.
“I love my talent. I came here to Canada so that I can do more,” she said, adding she has her sights set on the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Olympics.
“I want to compete for Canada.”
Ongori credited the help she has received from several Niagara residents, including Doug Jones and Ted Paget, who have helped her and her husband settle in the area and to be equipped, trained and taken to race events.
“Douglas been of great value to us,” said Mochama. “Getting somebody you don’t know from nowhere, it is a humbling experience because through Douglas, Philes has been registered in (several) races.”
Jones, who’s also a runner, said he met Ongori on the indoor track at MacBain Community Centre.
He said after hearing her story, he wanted to buy her a pair of shoes and register her in several race events.
Jones said Paget, a lawyer in Niagara Falls who’s also a runner, has been driving her to some of the races.
“After not running at all for a year, she is getting into shape and doing well at local races,” said Jones.
“She’s the real thing. It takes a while to come back, so she’s thinking like a year ahead and training, building her base and she knows how to do it.”
Jones said he hopes telling the stories of some of the many asylum claimants who are housed at hotels in Niagara Falls will help more people understand the human side of the situation.
“We’d be a better country if we had 80 million people rather than the 40 million we have,” he said.
“We have a lot of country that’s wide open, it needs people, we need people to replace people like me. I just turned 75, so although I have a business and I work and that, I’m not able to build houses and do things, so I believe we need the people.”
Jones said Canada will be a more prosperous country with people like Mochama and Ongori and will be especially well served if their children can join them and build their futures here.
“It will be those people that will really make a difference in the country,” he said.
“These two are in a hotel and it’s costing a couple hundred a day or whatever for the hotel and their food and stuff, and there’s just way too many people complaining about that, about the cost, about ‘we’re putting them up in hotels, we’re doing this, we’re doing that.’”
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