Five stories that inspired us in 2023

Every year, resettled refugees and the communities across the United States that welcome them come together to create a more inclusive world for displaced people. In a year with record displacement — more than 110 million displaced people worldwide — finding innovative solutions to help refugees rebuild is more critical now than ever before. Sports, art and education were just some of the ways we saw refugees and refugee allies come together to build stronger communities in 2023. 

Before 2023 comes to a close, meet five people that inspired us this year. 

Halima Hamud 

Halima Hamud is a resettled refugee who grew up in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. As a young girl, she saw how her mother and sister worked as medical professionals in the refugee camp, and how they were unable to continue their livelihoods when they resettled in the United States. Growing up in Idaho, Halima felt like she had to hide parts of herself to fit in with her classmates, but soon discovered that her power was in her uniqueness. 

Now a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, Halima takes her experiences and memories with her as she finds ways to empower other refugee women. Her work and research focuses on helping refugee women continue their livelihoods after resettlement, and on empowering refugee women to embrace what makes them unique. Halima hopes that through empowerment and education, more refugee women will be able to pursue their passions. 

Methusella Rwambose 

Methusella Rwambose resettled in Denver, Colorado from the Democratic Republic of the Congo when he was a teenager. As a child, he had two major passions: education and soccer. When he arrived in the United States, he found home in Denver through his school community and his soccer team. As a student at the University of Denver, he majored in Political Science, served in student government, became president of the soccer team and interned for U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper. A natural leader, Methusella  worked to build opportunities for other refugees and marginalized people to find hope through education and sports. 

Methusella is also building community in Denver. He helped found Colectivo de Paz, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources for marginalized individuals in the city of Denver. He’s giving back to the community that welcomed him and helping others access the resources they need to thrive. 

Jen Sanchez 

Jen Sanchez is a refugee ally who grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. She is the lead animator and Art Director at Planet Nutshell — a creative studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts that uses animated storytelling to help people understand difficult subjects and inspire them to take action.  A recent film, Azúcar, tells the story of a mother and son who are forced to flee Honduras. The story is personal to Jen, as her own family left Colombia in the 1980s to escape crime and gang violence. 

When her family found a home in Boston, they opened La Sultana, a bakery that became a hub for migrants and refugees in the community. Jen grew up helping people in her neighborhood access resources and translate documents. In her career, she wanted to combine her passion for art with her desire to help others. With Azúcar, she is using her art to help tell the stories of displaced people. She hopes to continue to tell stories like Azúcar featuring the stories of refugees from around the world. 

Global Village Project 

In Decatur, Georgia, Global Village Project is taking an innovative approach to welcoming young refugees to the United States. The school focuses on educating adolescent girls and helping them prepare for their transition to an America high school. The school takes a trauma-informed approach to teaching, and emphasizes the importance of helping girls build confidence and feel safe. 

Elizabeth Elango, CEO and Head of School for Global Village Project, feels strongly that students feel joy within the school’s walls and have a place where they can learn about themselves. In their time at Global Village Project, many of the students build bridges across cultures to create friendships that they maintain for life. 

Mark Rubakh 

Mark Rubakh ran the 2023 New York City Marathon in support of USA for UNHCR. Mark is a compassionate supporter of refugees and wanted to find tangible a way to help. He was motivated by the displacement crisis he witnessed at the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, but he was also motivated by his own family’s history of displacement. 

Mark’s parents were forced to flee Russia to escape persecution, and he is distinctly aware of everything they were forced to leave behind. He hopes that through running, he can help raise funds and awareness for what displaced people worldwide go through, and inspire others to take actions in support of refugees.