Celebrating World Refugee Day in Northern Nevada

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – June 20, 2022 is World Refugee Day, a day devoted to elevating consciousness and assist for individuals who have been compelled to depart their residence nation to flee harmful conditions like conflict, persecution, or pure catastrophe. Over the weekend, the Northern Nevada Worldwide Middle hosted a particular occasion for the refugees in our neighborhood.

“We’re celebrating the resilience of the 400 plus people we’ve resettled in Northern Nevada since 2016,” stated Carina Brown, Ph.D., Govt Director of NNIC.

Throughout Saturday’s World Refugee Day celebration hosted by the group refugees spoke to the crowds, sharing tales of their journeys. Refugees, together with Luka Bwaye, who moved to Reno again in 2018 together with his household from a refugee camp in Africa.

“After we have been in a refugee camp, meals was not promised, we needed to obtain meals each month and when its not out there we needed to wait, and water was additionally an issue, and a few individuals needed to stroll a mile typically to fetch water,” stated Bwaye.

When Luka lastly obtained to Reno he grew to become enrolled at Wooster Excessive Faculty, with out realizing a phrase of English, however due to his resilience he nonetheless discovered a means.

“At WHS I made a decision to affix the monitor and subject to be able to assist me enhance my English,” stated Bwaye.

He would additionally spend his days after observe on the library to emmerse himself within the English language.

Now, he’s going into his second 12 months at UNR with a 3.5 GPA, learning public well being and premedical research.

“The one factor I can say is thanks, as a result of there may be nothing I can do to pay again what they’ve carried out for me and my household, and for the entire refugees, as a result of they’ve modified a whole lot of lives and helped lots of people,” stated Bwaye.

A necessity for assist that’s ever current, “Within the final 6 months we’ve resettled 150 Afghans, and now we’re switching over to Ukranians,” stated Brown.

To study extra about NNIC, click on right here.

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