Congolese refugee reflects on experience

Ibrahim Baraka always dreamed of going to school, but that wasn’t a possibility during the 12 years he spent in a Ugandan refugee camp.

Now, he’s in college.

AFGHAN REFUGEESATTEMPT TORELOCATE AFTERTHE TALIBAN'STAKEOVER... WE'RELEARNING MOREABOUT THEREFUGEEEXPERIENCE FROMONE YOUNG MAN INLEXINGTON.TONIGHT... LEX-18'SEVELYN SCHULTZSHARES HIS LONGJOURNEY FROM AUGANDAN REFUGEECAMP TO THECOMMONWEALTH."MY FIRSTREACTION WASWOW THIS ISAMAZING."WHEN IBRAHIMBARAKA ARRIVED INTHE UNITED STATESIN 2017... HE HADALREADY SPENT 12YEARS AWAY FROMHIS HOME... THEDEMOCRATICPUREBLIC OF THECONGO."AT THIS POINT, IWAS LIKE WOW ICAN ACHIVE MYDREAM, WHICH ISTO HAVE A BETTERLIFE AND GO TOSCHOOL"VIOLENCE IN THECONGO FORCED HISFAMILY FROM THEIRHOME WHEN HE WASFOUR YEARS OLD...THE 23-YEAR-OLDGREW UP IN AUGANDAN REFUGEECAMP... WITH HISPARENTS AND NINESIBLINGS.BARAKA SAYS THEYOFTEN WENTHUNGRY... ANDMEDICAL CARE WASSCARCE.I WOULD SAY MYPARENTS A RESTRONG ANDRESILIENT.THEIR RESILENCEPAID OFF... WHENTHE AMERICANGOVERNMENTEVENTUALLY HELPEDRESETTLE THEFAMILY INLEXINGTON...BARAKA LEARNEDENGLISH...GRADUATED FROMTATES CREEK HIGHSCHOOL... AND ISNOW STUDYING TOBECOME AN E-M-T...INSPIRED BY HISBEST FRIEND, WHODIED IN THEREFUGEE CAMP.I WANT TO BE ANEMT SO I CAN GOBACK HOME ANDSUPPORT AS MANYPEOPLE AS I CAN.HIS LIFE IN AMERICAIS DRASTICALLYDIFFERENT... WHICHIS WHY BARAKAWANTS TOAY P ITFORWARD.NATS OF KIDSCLAPPINGHE EVEN STARTEDHIS OWNORGANIZATION FORORPHANEDCHILDREN IN THECONGO.... BARAKASAFRICACOMSSPAION.I SUPPORT THEMWITH A TTLILEMONEY, FOR FOOD,AND A PLACE TOSTAY.AS BARAKA LOOKSAT RECENT IMAGESFROMAFGHANISTAN... HEALSO SS EEHIS OWNJRNOUEY TO A NEWHOME...WHEN I SEE ALLTHOSE PEOPLE IFEEL THEIR PAIN.WHEN YOU SEEPEOPLE WHO WANTTO MOVE TO ADIFFERENTCOUNTRY, IT'S NOTBECAUSE THEYWANT TO.

IT'SNEED HELP.HE HOPES IF THEYMOVE HERE... THEYWILL FEEL THE SAMEWAY HE DID WHENHE ARRIVED ONAMERICAN SOIL.IF THEY HAVEOPPORTUNITY TOCOME TO UNITEDSTATES, THEYREGOING TO HAVECHANCE TO GO TOSCHOOL AND THEYWILL LEARNBETTER.

ALL I CANSAY TO THEM ISREALLY, WE LOVETHEM, AND THEYREMORE THANWELCOME.IN LEXINGTON,EVELYN SCHULTZ...LEX 18 NEWS.