Family of student from Tanzania killed in Burnaby fire raising money for repatriation

John Washington Huho Junior came to Canada nearly three years ago from Tanzania to study business at Alexander College.

Here, he made friends that he thought would last a lifetime.

“He was there for me when I was depressed, he’s been the person I could always run to and talk on the phone throughout the night to make sure I’m okay. Ever since then, he’s been my right-hand man,” Huho’s friend Neema Bungara said.

“John was a very good soul. He was the one who always told me that anything can work in your way if you put your mind to it,” Fahad Abdi Mohammed Ali said.

Last month, a fire broke out at Huho’s apartment in Burnaby. He was pulled out by firefighters, taken to hospital, and placed on life support.

After nine days in the Intensive Care Unit, Huho’s family ultimately decided that they had to let him go.

“We understand he had carbon monoxide poisoning as well as smoke inhalation, which is what caused his injuries. We made a difficult decision, after they permitted mom to come all the way from Tanzania to spend some moments with John,” Huho’s uncle Charles Coleman said. “And we came to an agreement, as a family, that the damage was irreversible, and therefore we should release him to rest in peace.”

A funeral service was held at Mountainview Alliance Church in Langley, where family, classmates, and friends celebrated Huho’s life.

“He had good people around him, his uncle is always here to support him, his friends, he had a good life here. Only that he missed home,” his mother, Ann-Margaret Coleman, said.

Huho passed away just a week after his 24th birthday.

His family tells CityNews that he had plans to go home and visit Tanzania this summer. Now, they want to fulfill his wish, and repatriate his body back to where he was born.

“There was a lot of discussion as to [whether we] have a burial here and have family travel in the future to pay their respects. But we also know John wished to be in Tanzania long term. So this would us honouring that wish. As much as this was an expensive decision, we thought this would be the best way to go,” Charles Coleman explained.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help transport Huho’s body and cover burial costs. His family hopes to raise $21,000 by the end of next week.