Dr . Omar Bah
A BEACON FOR REFUGEES RESETTLED IN RHODE ISLAND
As hundreds of Afghan refugees find safe harbor in Rhode Island , Dr . Omar Bah is one of many who will keep them afloat — not just as a compassionate neighbor or a community advocate , but as someone who ’ s been there himself .
In the early aughts , Bah worked as a journalist for a newspaper in the Gambia , where he penned columns that were critical of its brutal dictator , Yahya Jammeh , who has been implicated in a host of extrajudicial executions and often targeted the press . As a result , Bah was kidnapped , tortured and left for dead in a jail cell .
Bah escaped and fled to a refugee camp in Ghana . After about a year , he was granted asylum by the United States . He resettled in Providence in May of 2007 .
“ I came here with nothing ,” says Bah , who was the only Gambian refugee to arrive at the time . He formed a network of refugees from all over the world — who speak different languages and have different challenges — and he worked to build a sense of community in Rhode Island for them all .
His passion project became his life ’ s work in 2015 , when Bah and his wife , Teddi Jallow , founded the Refugee Dream Center , a post-resettlement agency that assists refugees who no longer receive federally funded assistance . The center , in Providence , provides refugees with social-level assistance , cultural orientation , financial literacy training and ESL classes . It also served quadruple its typical client base in 2020 , Bah says , due to an increase in need amid the pandemic .
A major priority for Bah , who has two young sons , is youth mentorship . In one program , the center paired refugee youth with Americans from local private high schools to help bridge the gap between the two experiences . Bah also encourages young refugees to pursue higher education and the center offers scholarships to ease the financial burden .
“ The opportunity given to me by this country is great motivation for youth to look up to ,” says Bah , who earned his doctorate here .
The Refugee Dream Center helps resettled refugees tackle the challenges of the present . But Bah , a psychologist , says he hopes it can help them heal the wounds of the past , too .
“ From a personal experience , when I came , no one talked to me about mental health ,” he says . “ I was highly traumatized .”
Within the next five years , Bah plans to launch a health clinic at the Refugee Dream Center , which will host specialized care including dental , eye and mental health services .
“ If it is combined , they won ’ t feel ashamed or shy to come in ,” he says , noting the stigma surrounding mental health care in the refugee community .
Remarked one Bannister judge , “ He worked through his personal challenges to help others — that is exactly what this award is about .”
“ He leads by example ,” noted another , and he shows refugees that no challenge is too big to overcome . refugeedreamcenter . org
64 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l NOVEMBER 2021