As the world wrestles with refugee crises since World War II, generations of young people are being forced to evacuate their humble homes in search of safety. Amongst these people are refugee students who face unmatched difficulties in pursuing their education. Yet amidst this chaos, they show a remarkable sense of resilience and determination.
Since 2011, more than 14 million Syrians have been forced to leave their homes in search of safety. Syria stays the world’s largest refugee crises as other countries such as Libya, Gaza strip, Afghanistan, Congo, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon form a chain of similar situations, causing people to flee from their homes.
The wars and crises going on in different countries affect health, economy, and worst of all education. Refugee students face many educational barriers, such as language, cultural adjustments, trauma and limits to resources. Most of them have experienced violence and great losses leaving them with emotional and psychological scars.
Meet Andrew Walbo, a student refugee from Papua New Guinea, who left his country due to the political and natural hazard crises which are one of the major causes of unsafety. “There is also killing involved, whenever I was traveling, I had to be cautious because it’s not safe” Andrew explained. He also expressed that moving to the US, he had a lot of barriers especially with language, but he preferred it because he felt safer in the US than in his country.
Maria Mishchenko, who is from Ukraine, is also a student refugee who left her home because of the war causing educational instability. She moved miles away from her country to start afresh in the US. Maria said, “before 2022, life was good, I would happily go to school and travel around with my family and friends but now there is a lot of insecurity.”
Like any other person in an unfamiliar environment, Maria has had her own share of barriers but amidst the struggles she expresses her happiness moving far away from her country as she found new cultures and meeting new people amusing.
Abdul is an Arab refugee student from Libya who moved to the US for educational purposes. The Libya crises is the current humanitarian crises and political- military instability which has led to a lot of lives lost especially that of their former president Muammar Gaddafi. Abdul has faced some problems as well, like getting to know people and becoming acquainted with the culture. But throughout his stay, he has received help from friends who were also from Libya. “Living far from home in a new community is good, but sometimes I miss home” he mentioned. For him Libya has and will always be his home and someday, he wishes to return what Libya gave to him.
There is nothing more heart aching, than feeling unsafe in a place you once called home to a point where you have to travel miles away, to get a sense of safety and pursue your dreams. Most times you might not even feel safe in a new environment, but these people are given no choice. For millions of refugees around the world this is the harsh reality they must face every day, but they find solace in knowing that they are no longer in the heart of danger, and all they want is to feel at home and for their cries to be heard.
Despite the challenges they face, refugee students are resilient, determined and bring a unique perspective to their new community. To address some refugee student needs, resources such as language training, trauma counseling, and easy access to certain resources are an effective way to start in schools.
There is a saying that goes “many hands do light work” in this sense, let us put our hands together to support these students, as they continue to strive for a better life. We should honor their stories, learn from their strengths and strive to create a world where everyone can find safety, belonging and a chance to thrive.
Jessie Ngowoh.