Sixteen years in a refugee camp. This was the life of Abdi and Sahra.

Abdi and Sahra fled Somalia in 2006 when violence in their country forced them to flee to Egypt. What was meant to be a place of refuge turned into a time of survival and stagnation as they found themselves as refugees in Egypt waiting to be resettled for over 16 years. In this time they had 4 children all born without a “home” – refugees waiting for something better.

The family of six finally got their chance a new life in December 2022, when their refugee application was finalized. And they beat the odds. Less than 1% of refugees who apply for resettlement in the US are approved and resettled. Our Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program staff happily welcomed them to their new “home” in southern Minnesota.

Resettlement is a team effort with the planning and caring actions of case managers and volunteers. They work with the families as they build their new lives and strive to become empowered and self-sufficient members of the community.

“Refugees are like you and me – everyday people trying to go about their daily lives, getting kids to school going to work but who have had to flee an unstable situation through no fault of their own,” John Meyers, Refugee Resettlement Program Director. “Here, they find themselves again in a stable environment, able to finally go about their daily lives of going to work and providing for their families.”

The family is now thriving. Abdi found a job at a manufacturing plant. Their older children, ages 6, 7, and 9 years old are in school, and Sahra is in Family Literacy Program with her 2-year-old learning English.