After months of living in a single room at an Extended Stay America and having fled Afghanistan earlier that year, Sara* and her family of six moved into a North Raleigh apartment complex, where Refugee Hope Partners has been serving refugees since 2007. August rolled around, and even though Sara only stands at about 4 feet 8 inches, it was time for her to start 9th grade.
On the first day of school, an RHP staff member met her at the bus stop, walked her to her first class and handed her a notecard with the words, “Please help me find my teacher. I do not speak English. I have my schedule in my backpack.” By God’s grace, Sara made it to all of her classes that day. Six months into 9th grade, Sara was blending sounds in English, faithfully showing up to Homework Help to practice reading and on the way to mastering the foundational components of the English language.
During the next summer, our friend Sara received new glasses to help correct a significant vision impairment thanks to the RHP medical team. Into the next school year, Sara was so excited to share that she did not get lost going to any of her classes. ESL is her favorite subject and she loves eating lunch with a few other students from her country.
She is growing taller and her confidence is, too. For many refugees this is the reality of their educational experience in America. Simply getting from one class to another takes immense effort and humility. It is such a privilege to walk alongside our brave and resilient refugee neighbors, like Sara, who are on their way to thriving!
*pseudonym used for participant privacy