The Journey of Dr. Omar Bah

A Glimpse into the Refugee Experience in Rhode Island

Neha Ratnapuri

Omar's Journey from The Gambia

A year before arriving in Rhode Island, Dr. Omar Bah had fled the Gambia in West Africa because he was being pursued for execution for his writings as a journalist. His wife of two months was still in the Gambia, and the government was harassing her. Omar was a journalist in the Daily Observer, the largest paper in Gambia at the time, and we was writing a column critiquing the current government. Omar was secretly and violently arrested for conspiring to overthrow the government and tortured.

In order to get to the northern part of the country he had to cross a long bridge and take a ferry across the river. He went to Senegal and was hiding in someone's home. He saw on the news there that he was declared wanted, so he quickly fled to Ghana, where he entered a refugee camp. Within a year of arriving, Omar agrees to resettle in the United States. He had never heard of Providence or Rhode Island before arriving.

Dr. Bah's book!

Read Dr. Bah's book (above) to learn more about his experience in Gambia!

Ep. 1: Omar Bah Flees Gambia

Listen to Dr. Bah tell his story in more detail above!

Arriving in Rhode Island

-Omar was in a completely new place with no familiar faces, and he spent his first few weeks in his apartment alone, sad, and scared. He was having nightmares

Arriving in Rhode Island

Omar's wife, Teddi, was still in Gambia under house arrest. Everyone he loves and his whole life was left behind.

There was a lot Omar had to adjust to since American culture was so different than what he was used to.

Arriving in Rhode Island

Soon, he got his first job at Rhode Island Housing, where he was able to make friends and build a network of support. Three years later, Teddi arrived in Rhode Island, and now they have two kids and a whole community of family and friends in Rhode Island.

TPR : The Public's Radio : TPR

Post-resettlement Services

However, Omar's journey into a successful and happy family wasn't as easy as he makes it seem. He struggled to find support from Rhode Island post resettlement, especially for mental health.

Rhode Island Refugee Support

Generally, the cash assistance that refugees receive through the federal government supports them only for a short time as they are expected to be self-sufficient within the first few months of their arrival in this country. However, achieving self-sufficiency is a slow process for people with a number of challenges including language, transportation, employment barriers, cultural barriers, and general adjustment issues.

RDC initiative

In order to fill the gaps for Refugees in Rhode Island, Omar and Teddi created Refugee Dream Center, a post-resettlement service organization for Refugees in Rhode Island.

Omar's experience is one of many - Every year, between 100 and 345 Refugees resettle in Rhode Island and go through the same struggles for support and resources Dr. Bah went through

Refugee Dream Center serves, empowers, and mobilizes those voices and experiences:

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REFUGEE DREAM CENTER

The Refugee Dream Center (RDC) is a non-profit (501(c)(3) post-resettlement refugee organization based in Providence, Rhode Island. They offer support to the local community to ensure continuation of services in refugees’ efforts towards self-sufficiency and integration. They achieve this through culturally attuned programming. These direct services are tailored to the short and long-term needs of the individuals we serve. 

REFUGEE DREAM CENTER

The RDC team is lead and made up of "former" Refugees, ensuring that the programs and services they offer meet the needs of their community.

RDC: SERVICES

Case management - direct service with the Rhode Island refugee community to support individuals through the pandemic, such as interpretation services, applying for benefits, rental assistance, housing assistance, job search/training, financial advising, etc.

Youth mentoring - educational support and opportunities for refugee youth 

RDC: SERVICES

Preventative health education - Guidance on best preventative health strategies, health check-ins, lead safety education 

Adult Education (ESL Classes) - ESL classes to facilitate language integration

RDC: SERVICES

Financial Literacy Training - Fraud prevention, financial advice, advancing economic self-sufficiency for women especially  

COVID-19 support - Virtual tutoring and ESL classes, food deliveries, vaccine clinic, production and dissemination of translated resources

OUR STORIES

Dr. Omar Bah is now an active member of, advocate for, and leader of the Rhode Island Refugee community

Dr. Bah's book!