Abe is Kareema’s much older brother. His high school years, which should have been spent going to football games and learning Algebra, took place in a refugee camp.
When Abe arrived in Toledo, he should have been a high school senior. Unfortunately, he had never even been a freshman. The local public high school was very reluctant to enroll him, but Abe told us he really wanted a chance at education. One of our staff members called the Ohio Department of Education to find out what Abe’s rights were to receive a public education, and they were extremely helpful.
Armed with the right information, we were able to advocate for Abe to be enrolled in high school for the next four years, giving him a chance to make up for a lot of lost time.
We sat down with Abe and his dad to explain the gift they had been given. We implored the family, despite financial pressures, to keep Abe out of the workforce so he could focus on his studies. Father and son gave us this commitment.
Abe is now attending high school during the day, and WFI’s American School Evening at night to help him with his English language skills.
Because of you, Abe now has a chance at a high school diploma. That gives him a chance for far greater successes in all his tomorrows.