Al Obaidi served as a panelist Saturday during the World Refugee Day event at Dayton Metro Library.
Dayton has recognized World Refugee Day, celebrated annually on June 20, every year over the past 10 years. This year’s event featured nods to Colombia, Ecuador, Turkey, Sudan, Ethiopia and other natures through song, dance and other cultural displays.
But this is the first event to occur after the Trump administration paused the national Refugee Resettlement Program.
The term “refugee” is an immigration designation that is given to a person who has fled from their native country and whose application for protection was approved by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley is contracted for refugee resettlement program services in the Dayton region. Director of Social Services Mary Reid said that although the region cannot accept new refugees due to the federal pause, work can continue for refugees who were here before January.
Reid said the support of refugees living in Dayton is important “now more than ever.”
“While new arrivals slow to a halt, the welcoming environment of Dayton continues to embrace refugees,” said Reid. “Refugees that have resettled in other parts of the country also voluntarily choose to move to Dayton to reunite with family and friends and take advantage of employment opportunities and a relatively affordable housing market. A vibrant refugee community is expected to continue in Dayton.”
Desire Ntwayingabo, who fled the Democratic Republic of Congo to come to the United States, said making a new life in America is full of wonder, but also challenge. Of course, finding housing and employment while also learning a new language takes a lot of time and work, but navigating cultural differences has its own set of lessons.
“Anytime I wanted to ask someone something, I wanted to be close to them,” he said. “And that was kind of weird to people I was going to speak to. So they were running away from me, and I felt like there was something wrong! So I had to adapt to the system in order for me to communicate — that was a big challenge for me.”
It’s estimated that more than 120 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations, said Refugee Congress Delegate and Sinclair College employee Rose Lokwang.
Lokwang was born in South Sudan but left her village at a very young age, growing up at a refugee camp in Kenya. She came to the United States in 2006, and she is now a mother and an educator.
Lokwang said watching other cultures come together and learning from each other makes her feel “seen.”
“Everyone here, it’s beautiful,” she said. “We’re all just trying to get by. Make a home.”
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