“Seeds of Hope: Creating a Future in the Shadows” (2019) talks about the opportunities refugees and immigrants alike create in Canada, one of the countries that is famed to have a “golden standard” for asylum-seekers. But late April, legal assistance in Ontario became unavailable – asylum-seekers now need to find and pay lawyers on their own. Empathy has become a more scarce currency in the hailed country. One paragraph etches itself onto my memory: “If ‘home is where the heart is’ / When was the last time I went home?” I ask myself the same question; in my homeland, I … Continue reading Newsletter – Quarterly Report 3

“We Nubians baptize our children in the Nile. Our ancestors offered goods to the Nile fairy. We understand its waves. It’s an indispensable part of our lives.” —Mr. Mohamed, Nubian Elder in Elephantine Island Before 1964, there were around 50 Nubian villages in Upper Egypt. Only 7 remain after the building of the High Dam. Mr. Mohamed accompanies me into a room inside his house-museum (Animalia). The floor is intensely blue, like water, and a soft sand color embellishes the outskirts of the bottom walls. Animals adorn every inch of the space. “This is lake Nasser; a place inhabited by … Continue reading Newsletter – Quarterly Report 2

September, 2018 – Newsletter In these newsletters, published every month, I will attempt to recount updates about featured situations in the current crisis. For a more complete overview of other situations, please scroll to the bottom of the article.  Here, you can quickly learn about news reports to be an informed person about the most recent developments. Syria: Syrians continue to suffer at the hands of both Asaad- and rebel- groups – becoming either internally displaced or fleeing refugees in the process. Below are three important essays displaying current developments and pertinent news questions. Turkey Stands Between Europe and the … Continue reading Newsletter – September, 2018

She had one class left to graduate. But in that year, the war became unbearable – and the family was forced to flee. Jomana has a warm smile fit for a future teacher. Her eyes lit when I asked her why she wanted to become a teacher since the pay is usually terrible and children are more often than not difficult. In paraphrase, Jomana answered that she loves children! Especially 4th graders. They have so much energy, potential, and charisma – they haven’t learned yet how to distrust the world. She loves designing games and telling stories and already does … Continue reading One step closer / حلم معلمة فصل

Near Jerash Camp, this scenery is pervasive – and absolutely beautiful. Rania rapped with confidence – in Jordanian, Egyptian, and Palestinian. She spoke of prisons, living proudly as a Palestinian woman, and the mixed life of being a refugee. Mohsen proclaimed we would be playing “musical chairs” – a game I vaguely remember as a child but can instantly recognize how it made me feel by the excited faces upon its mention. Shams still wanted to learn – she even wanted to teach others the little English I had written on the board. I, My; He, his; She, hers; They, … Continue reading Elusive Dreams / أحلام ضائعة