Meet our 2023 featured refugee storytellers

Every year on World Refugee Day, USA for UNHCR celebrates the strength, courage and perseverance of youth refugee and refugee ally storytellers. Their stories embody the spirit of World Refugee Day — to raise awareness about the experiences of refugees and how communities can welcome newcomers to their communities. 

The theme of World Refugee Day 2023 was Hope Away from Home and this year’s storytellers  inspired us with how their creativity, compassion and leadership helped them build new communities and connections in the U.S. Whether they’ve bonded with fellow students through sports or helped new members of their communities access resources, each storyteller demonstrated how displaced people can find hope away from home. 

Methusella 

As a child, Methusella and his family were forced to flee their home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He spent several years of his childhood in a refugee camp in Uganda, where he found he had a passion for education and soccer. When his family resettled to Denver in 2015, Methusella was overjoyed to have access to education and spent much of his time in school. He was the subject of Helen Thorpe’s book, The Newcomers, which documented Methusella and his classmates’ first year in the United States. 

After high school, Methusella attended the University of Denver where he earned a degree in Political Science. In school, his passion for community and uplifting others motivated his work. He interned with U.S. Senator Hickenlooper, joined the Student Government Association, was elected president of the university club soccer team and founded the non-profit,Colective de Paz, which supports marginalized communities in Denver. In all of his work, Methusella prioritizes helping others realize their full potential and strives to create spaces where people around him can feel safe, understood and empowered. 

“I know my experience can help others but I also see the work of Colectivo de Paz as a way for me to give back to the community that welcomed me and gave me so much.” —Methusella Rwabose

Jen

Jen is the Art Director at Planet Nutshell, an animation studio in Cambridge, MA, that is working on a series of films highlighting the experiences of displaced people. Their most recent film, Azúcar, follows a mother and son from Honduras who are forced to flee violence in their hometown. The story is personal to Jen, as her own family left Colombia in the 90s to escape violence and build a brighter future. 

Growing up, Jen helped her parents in the family owned local bakery,La Sultana. Over the years, the bakery has become a hub for refugees and migrants from Central and South America who are new to the United States. Jen and her family helped people find jobs, translate documents and access the resources they needed to rebuild their lives. Growing up around these stories drove Jen’s passion for helping others and storytelling. She hopes her work will help others better understand the experiences of refugees, and inspire more people to act compassionately towards newcomers in their communities. 

“My personal goal for Azúcar was to give a voice to those who would otherwise not have any.” — Jen Sanchez

Dahabo

Dahabo was born and spent her childhood in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Because of her mother’s strength and protection, Dahabo never felt displaced until her family was chosen for resettlement. 

When she arrived in the United States, she began struggling with her sense of identity and belonging. To better understand and examine these feelings, she turned to poetry to express herself. Her poem, “Where Are You From?” confronts these feelings of confusion and alienation. 

“I am from a place of confusing narratives, unwarranted resentment, and brutal violence.

Sometimes I myself am confused of where I am from.” — Dahabo Kerow

Rojina 

Rojina was born in a refugee camp in Nepal after her family was forced to flee their home in Bhutan. After resettling in the United States, Rojina found ways to honor her identity and experience as a refugee while also building confidence in herself. 

Growing up in Nepal, she has memories of helping her family on their farm. She didn’t realize she could follow this passion for agriculture in the United States. She worked on her high school’s garden and was invited to learn more about agricultural careers at Ohio State University. Rojina has found that staying true to her lived experiences and following her passions helps guide her future. 

“I’ve gone through different types of challenges but I’ve overcome them instead of letting them stop me from shining.” — Rojina Rai

How you can help…

USA for UNHCR supports the full journey of refugees like Methusella, Dahabo and Rojina. Our donors help refugees in their greatest time of need and support resettled refugees living in the U.S. With your help, more refugees will have the opportunity to build a peaceful life and have a chance for a brighter future.