The African Refugee Chapter
Founders: Nora Omwami, Eliah Djedro, Lauren Watkins
Nora Omwami
Both of my parents immigrated to America from Kenya, so I have had the privilege of being raised in both American and African cultures. I’m a first generation American, but my two older sisters were born in Kenya, so I have been told about some of the challenges they faced as African teens coming to a new home and world. I am excited about this project with my friends because I know how to introduce African teen refugees and immigrants to American teen culture. And I can’t wait to hang out with my new friends, but also to find other Black teenagers around the country to help us reach out in person to newly arrived African teen refugees and immigrants in places all over our country.
Eliah Djedro
As a daughter of two immigrants, I’ve heard many stories of my parents’ cultural experiences and, especially, their culture shocks when entering America for the first time. Something that they both wish they had at the time was proper guidance and a familiar face in the new environment that surrounded them. Hearing about Teens at the Door has given me hope in this generation’s involvement around social and political issues. With the African Chapter, I hope to become that familiar face for teenagers, connecting with one another and forming strong relationships.
Lauren Watkins
I have always been interested in and fond of learning about the many cultures that come from the different African countries, so working alongside this chapter will give me the opportunity to learn about the many customs of the teen refugees while simultaneously introducing them to an American lifestyle as well.
Eliah, Nora, and Lauren are all juniors in high school. As heads of their school’s Black Student Union, these three plan on using their leadership capabilities to help start an African teen chapter at Teens At the Door. The three friends are researching which countries African teen refugees and immigrants are coming from and where they are resettling in America. The three will also organize American teenagers to meet and hang out with the newly arrived African teens in person and help them adapt to their new towns and schools.
We will be following their progress on their blog so that we can all learn from their research and maybe give them some help too.
