REFUGEE STORYTELLERS

Sharing inspiring journeys of hope

Four refugee storytellers will perform during the evening. One storyteller works for Edesia and the others work for three other agencies in the State serving refugees: Beautiful Day, Refugee Dream Center, and Women’s Refugee Care. Navyn has partnered with each of these agencies in various ways and we seek to honor her for her local efforts, as well as for her international impact, by choosing one storyteller from each organization.

Antoine Nzeyimana, Edesia

Antoine is originally from Burundi where he received legal training and worked as a human rights activist before fleeing to the Ivory Coast to escape persecution. He continued to work for social change until the political situation became too dangerous and he was forced to flee once more. Antoine came to Rhode Island in 2010 and began working as a trainee at Beautiful Day. He now works part-time at Beautiful Day and full-time at Edesia. He recently bought a house in Providence where he lives with his wife and two boys.

Vivian Nano, Beautiful Day

Vivian is originally from Iraq. She is an Assyrian Christian and her first language is Assyrian New-Aramaic, the same language that Jesus spoke. She was injured in 2004 after a bomb fell on her home in Baghdad, killing her husband and in-laws. After several surgeries, she and some of her family members were eventually resettled in Rhode Island in 2008. Vivian currently works as Beautiful Day’s Administrative Assistant. She lives with her two sisters in Cranston and is engaged to be married.

Aline Binyungu, Women’s Refugee Care

Aline is from the DRCongo and is now an American citizen. A human rights defender and refugee advocate, she has dedicated her life to helping women and children. When she came to the US in 2014, she and her family faced numerous challenges. No one spoke their language, they did not know anyone, and there was no formal orientation on how to transition into American society. As a result, she made a commitment to ensure a more welcoming transition for other refugees. She entered the Social Human Service Assistant Program at Rhode Island College and founded Women’s Refugee Care with her husband to assist refugees from East Africa.

Teddi Jallow, Refugee Dream Center

Teddi Jallow is a refugee from the Gambia who arrived in the U.S. in 2009. She co-founded the Refugee Dream Center, which provides education, health referrals, case management, and more to help refugees post resettlement in Rhode Island. Teddi has worked as a community organizer, case manager, and interpreter and speaks various languages of Western African populations including Fula and Wolof. She works as a Certified Nursing Assistant and Medical Technician and is currently obtaining a degree at Rhode Island College.