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Date: 5/5/2022
WEST SPRINGFIELD — A casual conversation with a student who escaped not one, but two war-torn Middle East countries — Iraq and Syria — inspired West Springfield High School (WSHS) teacher Damien Johnson recently to start a club for students who are refugees.
“She told me she had come from a town in Syria where the civil war started after some kids wrote anti-government graffiti on the wall of her school. I Googled her story, and quickly confirmed that what she said was true,” recalled Johnson.
During his research, Johnson discovered the Youth Storytellers Celebration, a national event affiliated with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which gives young refugees a platform to share their experiences.
Johnson also learned that the nonprofit organization USA for UNHCR runs an annual essay contest for young refugees. This year’s deadline was April 1. Winning entries will be published on its website to celebrate World Refugee Day on June 20.
An English and creative writing teacher at the school since 2009, Johnson immediately wrote to WSHS Principal Patrick Danby to pitch his idea for a new club that would meet four or five times before the contest deadline.
“The next morning, an email and an announcement went out promoting the WSHS Refugee Storytellers Club. About eight or nine students showed up for the first meeting — kids who had come from all over the world,” said Johnson.
Danby called the club a “phenomenal” idea.
“Our community and our school are rich in diversity and culture. This club is another opportunity for our school to connect with and understand students who are coming here as refugees,” he said.
At club meetings, Johnson said kids made friends and shared their stories with one another and workshopped their writing with his assistance. In the end, four students wrote their stories and submitted them to the contest.
“The kids were all more than happy to write their stories,” said Johnson. “For some, it was a healing process; for others it was an opportunity to discover something about their family or their past.”
Fatima Manahi, the sophomore whose conversation with Johnson motivated him to look up her story, also joined the club and wrote an essay for the contest. She said she was surprised that he started the club.
“I didn’t think someone would actually care to let everyone know that there are kids out there that are like me and actually appreciate the struggle of where I was and where I am right now,” she said.
Interviewing parents
Although Manahi’s essay wasn’t selected as a winner by USA for UNHCR, a story co-authored by identical twin sisters Haya and Ghena Al Nuwab was. They were born in Jordan after their family fled Iraq. Writing their story required much research and interviews with their parents.
The two juniors talked to their father and asked him about his experiences before moving to the U.S. and the reasons for the family’s move. The twins wrote that their family first lived in Baghdad, Iraq and later moved to Amman, Jordan, because of the war in Iraq. They said their story was written more of a way to discover their family’s stories.
“Our parents wanted to make sure we wouldn’t have to endure the same traumatic events that they and our two older sisters did. One of the main reasons for the sudden move from Iraq was that our father had received a threatening letter about kidnapping one of our older sisters,” said Ghena.
“The day of the move, our family didn’t know anyone in America. After being with Jewish Family Services, we met some close family friends,” added Haya.
In addition to selecting the story, USA for UNHCR sent a film crew to West Springfield last week to shoot a short video documentary based on the sisters’ story. They interviewed the twins and their parents, then spent a day at the school filming and interviewing Haya and Ghena.
Now 17, they were just 3 years old when their family fled Jordan. While their family came here for better opportunities, it wasn’t difficult for them to adjust to a new country because they were so young. For the rest of the family, it was harder.
They explained that their parents didn’t have a car when they moved to the United States. Also, since Worcester was the closest place where they could find halal food, their diet consisted mostly of fish, bread and fruits and vegetables.
The sisters were “shocked” and “surprised” when their essay was selected.
“We didn’t believe it at first, because it felt so sudden. It also was so fun to have the film crew here,” said Haya. Added Ghena, “It will be a great way to show our current story of living in West Springfield and the great community. All in all, the whole experience has been surreal.”
Nic Feeney, senior manager of communications at USA for UNHCR, said Haya and Ghena’s story was selected because they wrote passionately about their family’s refugee experience. “They are also a shining example of why resettlement is so important — today they are excelling in high school, have a safe home, and their future is boundless with opportunities,” he said.
Haya said the film is a “great opportunity” to show another side of how refugees in America are resettling in the country. “Also, it will help portray the diversity of our school.”
Platform for awareness
Feeney said his film crew came to West Springfield to share the story of Ghena and Haya and their supportive community at the high school. The documentary will be released on World Refugee Day on USA for UNHCR’s website and social media channels. According to Feeney, UNHCR recommends that the most vulnerable of refugee populations be considered for resettlement.
He said sharing stories of young refugees and providing a platform for their voices is important for raising awareness to the broader public that refugees from all over the world live in communities across the U.S.
“Refugees overcome many challenges on their journey to safety — all of their voices are important to hear and learn from,” he said.
Johnson said discovering the UNHCR Storytellers Celebration was “serendipitous” in providing the inspiration and direction for the club. He’s unaware of any other high school in the area offering a club for refugee students.
“I’ve always wanted to do something to celebrate our refugee population and give them a platform to tell their stories,” he said. “When they selected one of our stories, it was beyond my wildest expectations.”
The members themselves were similarly impressed.
“When the people in the Storytellers Club shared their stories, I was in awe,” said Haya. “I felt inspired because I got to hear what others have gone through to gain the opportunities they have today.”
Ghena said she enjoyed how welcoming and accepting everyone was when sharing stories in the club: “It takes bravery to share experiences because there are many traumatic events that have occurred. It was a very safe environment to share those stories.”
Johnson plans to relaunch the club in September, with the goal of increasing participation. In addition to writing, he hopes to offer counseling support to kids and even publish a WSHS Storytellers Cookbook with recipes to complement the stories.
Haya said that she’s “excited” to see what the club offers next year.
“I would love to hear more stories — and I’m definitely hoping more students will join,” she said.