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A mountain bike, an eagle feather and a stuffed moose. 

These are some of the items that give students strength when times get tough. Seven students who came to Toronto for university

Providence Mapingire, a first-year student of economics at Woodsworth College who hails from Gweru, Zimbabwe, cherishes a pair of shorts made by his aunt.

“My aunt made me these shorts before I left Zimbabwe and she surprised me with them at the airport,” he says.

"The shorts remind me of my aunt, who helped raise me, my brother and sister in Gweru while my mom was teaching in the countryside. When I’m missing home, these shorts make me feel like there’s someone there with me.”