Celebrating The Courage of Refugees on World Refugee Day

Ilaha’s first passport photo, 1980

On World Refugee Day, we celebrate the courage of refugees worldwide while also recognizing that nobody chooses to be a refugee; that this status is one of necessity, and that we must work together to support and be compassionate towards those who face no option but to leave their home in the pursuit of freedom and security.

This World Refugee Day, we’re sharing the story of one of the co-founders and the Executive Director of Uplift, Ilaha Eli Omar.

“My journey as a refugee began when I was born in Afghanistan on the eve of September 15, 1979; the same night former President Taraki’s government was overthrown and the country was sent into chaos.

At 40 days old, cradled in my mother’s arms, my parents and I fled Kabul in secret and arrived at a stark hotel in Frankfurt, West Germany occupied by hundreds of other Afghan refugees.

As the year progressed, the Afghan refugee community in Frankfurt grew and rallied together to travel between hotels and airports to receive and support the incoming refugee men, women, and children. The scene was one of fear and uncertainty—grasping for stability in the midst of upheaval. It was a scene that would, unfortunately, be almost replicated four decades later in 2021 with the US withdrawal and the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.

My family and I finally arrived in the United States in September of 1980 with dreams of rebuilding our life in this new country. For the past 43 years we have worked, grown our family, and experienced the joys and hardships that come with navigating living in two worlds at once. We have also held on to hope that we might one day be able to return to live in Afghanistan.”

Though each refugee’s story is different, it is undeniable that the tremendous strength and courage it takes to seek out new opportunities in unknown places when faced with the challenge of political, social, and economic upheaval is the thread that binds each one together.

Every person—refugee or not—shares the desire to surround themselves with loved ones and live free from persecution and fear.