Coming Home: A Client Success
In October, we hosted our first Open House at our administrative office here in Cambridge. We were fortunate enough to have a former client come and speak about his experience. Humbled by his experience Ibrahim had given a relatively short summary of his experience before going on to explain the long-lasting affects the circumstances that led him to Hildebrand continues to have on him and his family. In short, he escaped war-torn Sudan and seven years later is now a proud homeowner, here in Massachusetts. Read his story below:
Ibrahim and his family escaped war-torn Sudan as political refugees in 2010. They faced the reality that children were being shot in the streets or kidnapped to join the army, and knew they had to seek refuge elsewhere. Ibrahim had been sent to prison after refusing to join the army and participate in the mass genocide that was taking place.
His family realized that they had to leave Sudan in order to survive. Ibrahim shared with us that the decision to leave was not easy, but he realized “this is war and you must leave everything to survive war – even your clothes.”
Forced to flee the country where he worked as an architect the family walked through the night in order to cross the border into Egypt undetected. They spent time in refugee camps in there, before coming to Boston, where they didn’t know anyone. His wife gave birth to their third child in one of those refugee camps, it’s a miracle they both survived with little access to medical supplies. His family lived in a hotel for seven months before coming to Hildebrand in 2011.
The unit they had lived in before coming to us was unhealthy for his three children, exacerbating their asthma and requiring multiple visits to the doctors and emergency rooms. They came to Hildebrand to preserve their lives. Ibrahim found a job at Logan Airport, and he and his wife attended college while living here.
While at Hildebrand his family received their green cards, and he was excited to apply for citizenship because he came to the United States for the opportunities the country provided, to build a better life, and a better future. Ibrahim and his family moved out of shelter in 2012. For many years, Ibrahim worked three jobs to save money and support their growing family while his wife endured heart surgery while attending school to become a teacher.
Despite all they had faced, this family has continued to strive and persevere and in the summer of 2017, Ibrahim and his wife purchased their own home in Sharon, MA! During our discussion about their struggles Ibrahim shared with us his love for his country and the people that helped to support them. “We are so happy to be here. We love America and we are American now. As a family we accept everyone and love all traditions. We live and die for America.”
The trauma of their experiences still affects them, but Ibrahim and his family continue to thrive in their life here in America.
Ibrahim is pictured right above with his former case manager, Marc Jean-Jacques.