Omar Mohamed’s When Stars Are Scattered has captured readers’ hearts worldwide with its moving and deeply personal narrative. The graphic novel powerfully depicts the refugee experience and tells the story of Mohamed’s childhood in Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, where he and his younger brother, Hassan, spent 15 years of their early lives. Mohamed visited Ann Arbor and Lansing from October 21-23, 2024 to share his journey from a refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya, to becoming a published author and advocate for refugees worldwide. Attendees heard him discuss the inspiration behind his book, the challenges he faced, and the message of hope and resilience that lies at the heart of his story.
Mohamed began at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus with the CMENAS Fall 2024 Colloquium Series on refugees and migration where he gave a talk and took questions from nine graduate students in the Masters in International and Regional Studies program (MIRS) MENA specialization and other attending community members. The same evening, he spoke to 45 community members gathered at the Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch. In sharing his story at each venue, Mohamed related some of the many challenges faced by primary and secondary students in the camp, especially girls and those with mental and physical disabilities, to attend school and achieve higher levels of education.
According to the UNHCR, as of October 8, 2024, there are 37.9 million refugees and 40 percent are children under 18 years of age. On Tuesday, October 22, Mohamed had the chance to meet some of the less than one percent of refugees that are considered for resettlement (International Rescue Committee website accessed on 10/31/24) at the Refugee Development Center (RDC) in Lansing, MI. While visiting the RDC, Mohamed toured the facility, met with staff, and spoke with about 50 teenagers in the Center’s after-school program which provides language support, social and wellbeing activities and cultural integration to life in the United States.
Mohamed spent his final day in Ann Arbor with 200 sixth graders from Scarlett Middle School and 110 fourth and fifth graders from Logan Elementary. At Scarlett, the University of Michigan African Studies Center purchased books for each student with the Center’s Title VI Grant Funds. The thank you video created by Scarlett’s teachers and students reflects what the students learned and how the book impacted them.
Co-sponsored by the U-M African Studies Center, the Ann Arbor District Library, and the Refugee Development Center in Lansing. These events are part of ongoing efforts by CMENAS to bring diverse voices and stories to schools and community organizations and foster meaningful conversations made possible by funding from the CMENAS U.S. Department of Education Title VI grant.
