Stories of strength and community on World Refugee Day
Stories of strength and community on World Refugee Day
Every refugee carries a story — one shaped by loss and extraordinary strength.
In Minneapolis, Pastor Jean Pierre Gatera draws from his own experience of displacement to guide others, and slam poet Bao Phi transforms generational trauma into powerful verse, offering a voice to the refugee experience. In Salt Lake City, Congolese survivors of torture Aline and Christine find healing and connection through the simple act of knitting together.
Their stories demonstrate that refugees across the United States are not only rebuilding their lives, but they are also helping to strengthen the communities they now call home.
Pastor Gatera and his wife, Appoline, in Minneapolis. After years of ministering in the Kakuma refugee camp, he now serves as a pastor at Northwood Church.
For nearly two decades, Jean Pierre served as a pastor to fellow refugees in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp. There, he united over 160 churches to form Kakuma’s first interfaith coalition, offering spiritual support and hope to thousands. Today, he continues his mission as a pastor at Northwood Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he serves as a source of strength and inspiration for the church’s congregation and local community.
“Everyone needs protection, everyone needs a community, everyone needs opportunities.”
Bao Phi, an author and two-time Minnesota Grand Slam champion. Through his poetry and books, he amplifies the voices of refugees.
In Minneapolis, two-time Minnesota Grand Slam champion and National Poetry Slam finalist Bao Phi channels the legacy of displacement into powerful verse. Through his writing, Bao explores themes of generational trauma, identity, and strength. His poetry gives voice to the refugee experience, offering a deeply personal and nuanced perspective that resonates across cultures and audiences.
“My hope is that I can add a fuller, more nuanced take on what it means to be a refugee, in particular a Southeast Asian Vietnamese refugee.”
Aline, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the THRIVE Center for Survivors of Torture.
In Salt Lake City, Congolese refugee women are finding strength and solidarity through a community knitting group. Among them are Aline and Christine, who endured decades of forced displacement, extreme violence and trauma. As they knit side by side, they foster a sense of belonging and purpose, demonstrating how community-based initiatives can play a vital role in restoring dignity and mental and physical well-being.
“I wouldn’t be alive if I wasn’t connected to these people.”
