From Tripoli to Hamilton: How two refugees found each other again at YMCA Newcomer Youth Centre

“I feel like I know you…you look familiar.”

In a room full of newcomers finding their footing in a new country, Mohsen paused mid-conversation and looked at Daniel. Something about him felt familiar. Daniel smiled. He felt it too.

What began as a simple introduction at the YMCA Newcomer Youth Centre in downtown Hamilton quickly turned into something remarkable. Piece by piece, memory returned. The streets. The neighbourhood. Tripoli, Libya.

Both had lived there as refugees, navigating uncertainty far from their home countries—Mohsen from Sudan and Daniel from Eritrea. They had moved through the same spaces, shared the same environment, but eventually moved on as life carried them in different directions.

Now, thousands of kilometres away in Hamilton, Ontario, they found each other again.

“It feels good—like home,” Daniel says.

Two journeys, one destination

Mohsen’s path to Canada was driven by determination and a dream he refused to give up.

After leaving Sudan, he and his family settled temporarily in Libya and registered with the UNHCR (also known as the UN Refugee Agency in Canada), hoping for resettlement. When he was told he would be sent to Norway instead of Canada, he pushed back.

“I told them, I don’t want to go to Norway…I have a dream to go to Canada,” he says.

Confident in his vision for the future, Mohsen even advocated for himself directly, writing emails and making his case. Weeks later, the answer changed. Canada was back on the table.

Now in Hamilton, just a few months after arriving, Mohsen is already building toward that dream. He’s learning English, volunteering, and even developing a website designed to help other newcomers access resources and settle more easily.

“I’m thinking…why can’t I make a website helping newcomers like me?” he said. 

For Mohsen, Canada represents opportunity and belonging.

“Canada is a freedom country…when you come, you [don’t feel like an immigrant] you feel Canadian,” he says. 

Daniel’s journey followed a different timeline, but a similar hope.

After spending years in Libya, he arrived in Canada in May 2025 and quickly began building a new life, starting high school and exploring his future.

“I’m learning…I have a dream. I will achieve my dream,” he says.

That dream is clear: Daniel wants to become a mechanic. Already, he’s taking classes and working toward a hands-on career that excites him.

“It gives me a good feeling” he said.

A place to belong

For both young men, the YMCA Newcomer Youth Centre has been central to their journeys.

“I create a lot of friendships [here]…I learn how to communicate with people,” Daniel shares. 

Mohsen echoed that sense of connection.

“They help me make friends…help me [with volunteering], help me know the Hamilton community,” he says.

The YMCA Newcomer Youth Centre supports youth who are new to Canada by providing a safe, inclusive space to build friendships, develop skills, and access settlement support. Through drop-in programs, activities, mentorship and guidance, newcomer youth can explore their interests, practice language skills, and grow their confidence.

In Hamilton, the program operates across three locations, ensuring youth have accessible spaces where they can connect, learn, and belong.

Rabea, a settlement worker with YMCA Immigrant Services, sees firsthand the impact these spaces have.

“They’re always here—to play, to connect, to speak with others who share their interests,” she says.

She also points to how youth like Mohsen are beginning to give back, using what they’ve learned to support others navigating similar journeys.

Today, Mohsen and Daniel spend time together at the centre—playing games, sharing stories, and growing a friendship they didn’t have the chance to explore back in Libya.

What they’ve found at the YMCA is more than friendship. It’s a sense of stability after uncertainty. A place to rebuild. A place to grow.

It’s a reminder that even across continents and years, connection has a way of finding its way back.

Moments like theirs are what make the YMCA Newcomer Youth Centre so powerful.

Because sometimes, belonging doesn’t just mean building something new, it means finding your way back to something familiar—and realizing you’re not alone.