Meet Esmaa Elmahrouk.
“I was born in Egypt. I lived in Toronto for two years and have been in Ottawa for the past seven years. This area is amazing. It’s very family-oriented. I love my house because it’s very old. I love my neighbours, the schools are wonderful. My kids go to Elmdale School – it’s amazing – and my older kids go to Nepean. It’s a wonderful community.
“The Ottawa Mosque open house here today is wonderful and I’m so happy to be part of it. I shared the flyers with my neighbours and I can see my neighbours here today. I’m so happy that they come and support us. It’s so wonderful – I don’t know how to express my feelings. One goal I have is to learn French. French is my obstacle now. I’ve done my part in English. Back home they taught us English and I went to school here to learn English and now my goal is to learn French.
“The most important thing here in Canada is everyone is equal. When I came, one of my friends said: “You’re going to love this country,” and I did. I’m so glad we made this decision. My kids are going to have a wonderful future here, and I’m so proud to be Canadian.” Collected by Ellen Bond
Humans of Kitchissippi is a special street photography project designed to introduce readers to some of the people who live, work, and play in Kitchissippi. Each instalment of HOK contains three elements: a photo, a name, and a quote from the subject that reveals a little bit about who they are. View our collection of humans right here.