At a time when Syrian refugees face hostility and even outright bans, Canada has continued to be a stronghold of safety and acceptance. But though proud of our country for eliminating barriers to immigration, refugees arriving in Canada face another unavoidable barrier: Language.

With the rapid influx of refugees — 7,000 since November 2015, of which over 60% are children — access to language services and entry to kindergarten is often delayed. Seeing this need in the community, “Ahlan Bear” was built to help bridge the language gap quickly. Ahlan speaks a combination of useful and cultural phrases in English and Arabic to develop language skills and connect refugee children to their new home. The word Ahlan means “welcome.” It conveys the sentiment: “You've come to stay with family.”

COSTI helped not only to design the bears but get them into the hands of refugee children as they arrive in the country. With distribution taken care of, the right phrases had to be matched with the correct Arabic dialect by resettlement experts, as well as to finalize the phrases and translations. Once the words were right, finding the right voice was next. Phrases were recorded with the help of a girl named Sasha Nafaa, who is a refugee herself.

The reception to Ahlan from Canadian and international media was overwhelming. John McCallum, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, came to support the initiative, flying to Toronto to hand out the bears to refugee children. Ahlan is giving more than just language skills — he's employing, as Syrians themselves have been helping in the production process as a way to introduce them to the Canadian workforce.