Farhiya Mohamed

Farhiya Mohamed’s native land of Somalia has been wracked for over a decade by civil war, clan fighting, and natural disasters. In 1991, President Barre was ousted by heavily armed guerrilla militias. That year, Farhiya, her father, brother, and sister fled Somalia and reunited with relatives in Kenya. Farhiya’s family was lucky. Unlike many of their former neighbors, they didn’t need to seek refuge in a refugee camp. She had siblings in Italy who were able to support Farhiya’s family, sending enough money to pay for their rent and food in Kenya. Also, her sister worked at the American Embassy, which led to an opportunity for Farhiya’s family to resettle in the United States. Still, they faced hardships. All four members of her family contracted malaria in Kenya. Before they departed for the U.S., Farhiya’s sister died. When the rest of Farhiya’s family reached the U.S. they faced a steep learning curve. They didn’t speak English, the weather was cold, and the food tasted strange. Everyone in the family went to school to learn English. Once they had secured jobs, Farhiya’s family began helping other newly arrived refugees. Farhiya’s father repeatedly reminded Farhiya and her brother of how difficult it had been for them to adjust, and how many strangers had helped them along the way. Since being resettled, Farhiya has continued to do as much as she can to help other refugees. Today, she works as a Case Aide with Lutheran Community Services Northwest’s Refugee Resettlement Program. After living in Seattle for so many years, she feels like this is her country, her home. She doesn’t want to ever leave. World Refugee Day is meaningful to Farhiya because her family came here as refugees. And as her father always says, it’s important to remember how hard it was to be a refugee, so you will do your best to help those who came after you, who are still struggling.