Abdulkadir: Triumphing Over Barricades
Abdulkadir was a “brainiac” and completed most of 8th grade by the time he was just twelve. Math was his favorite subject. His family owned a small grocery business in Miesso, Ethiopia. After school, Abdulkadir helped in the store, completed his homework and was generally a normal kid. Life was good.
Then suddenly, Abdulkadir’s father was arrested and tortured by government officials. He was beaten so badly that he was left for dead. His family found him lying in the bushes, brought him home and nursed him back to health.
When the government discovered that Abdulkadir’s father was alive, they began searching for him again. This time, they would probably kill him. So, Abdulkadir and his father quickly escaped to a refugee camp in Kenya leaving the remaining eight family members behind.
Life became very different. Everything in Kenya was strange and new. In the Kakuma refugee camp, the living conditions were miserable due to extreme shortage of food, water, and shelter. So after several months, Abdulkadir left the camp by himself and went into the city of Nairobi where he worked in a restaurant. Very quickly Abdulkadir discovered the police in Nairobi were corrupt. Worse yet, Abdulkadir had no opportunities for education.
Finally, after eight harsh years, Abdulkadir immigrated to Minnesota in 2007 at age 21. “I was really, really excited,” Abdulkadir noted. “I knew that, if I worked hard, I would be successful.”
School was a priority. But, Abdulkadir spoke no English and was too old for the Minneapolis Public Schools. That’s when a friend told him about Volunteers of America–Minnesota’s High School Diploma program, which offers English language learners, age 16 and older, the opportunity to acquire English skills and earn a high school diploma. The school was nearby and Abdulkadir promptly enrolled.
The staff at the Volunteers of America school encouraged and inspired Abdulkadir to work hard. They took extra time to make certain he understood the coursework. And work hard he did! Abdulkadir was an outstanding student and earned his high school diploma in just one year.
Now, at age 23, he is attending Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) where he’s taking pre-pharmacy classes including College Algebra and Introduction to Chemistry. While going to school full-time, he works part-time as a personal care attendant for a home health care provider. Abdulkadir is proud because he is the first person in his family to attend college. Plus, he now he speaks five languages: Oromo, Amharic, Swahili, Somali – and English. “I feel my future is bright,” Abdulkadir said with a smile.
What’s more, he is a volunteer tutor at Volunteers of America–Minnesota’s High School Diploma program twice a week where he helps students with Math. Abdulkadir said, “The most important reason [I volunteer] at the school is because I knew and felt the same pain in the refugee camps and had the same experiences [as many of the students].” He continued, “Many [of the students] never had the chance to go to school and have to start from the beginning. I want to be close to them and help them understand. I want to pay back by helping others.”