OWC Artist – Adela

Adela is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)  She was forced to leave her home and go to a refugee camp in Rwanda  She and her family lived in the camp for 20 years before being able to come to the United States  Today, Adela lives in Bridgeport with her husband and 6 children

Adela enjoys coming to the OWC program where she has built friendships with other women from the DRC

OWC Artist – Nabila

Nabila, her husband and 4 boys lived in Afghanistan before the government fell in 2021  Her husband was a soldier working with the US special forces for many years  The family was able to escape and spent 4 months living in refugee camps until they finally arrived at their new home in Bridgeport

OWC Artist – Florida

Florida was born in the Congo She fled her country at age 13 because of war She, along with her family were taken to a refugee camp in Uganda where she lived for 20 years and had 5 of her 6 children
She arrived in the US in 2018 and lives in Bridgeport with her husband and 6 children and is happy to have a community of women at OWC who share her language and culture

OWC Artist – Fatima

Fatima is originally from Eritrea At the age of 16, she was forced to flee her country after members of her family were threatened and some killed Fatima spent 30 years in various refugee camps in Sudan where she had 7 children Fatima arrived in the US along with her children in 2016 Fatima enjoys coming to OWC to get out of the home and gain sewing experience

OWC Retired Artist – Louise

At only 13 years of age, Louise lost many of her family members due to violence from the war in the Congo She fled with her grandparents to a refugee camp in Tanzania While spending 20 years in the refugee camp she got married and gave birth to 9 children Louise now lives with her husband and 7 of her children She is thankful for OWC

OWC Retired Artist – Nyassa

Nyassa escaped her home country of Congo due to war She lived for 3 months in the woods escaping to Tanzania where she spent 20 years in a refugee camp with her husband and 7 children She worked in a nearby farm to get food for her family They arrived in the US in 2016 Nyassa finds friendship and kindness through the Our Woven Community program

OWC Artist – Abrehet

Abrehet is originally from Eritrea where, due to war, she had to flee She spent 7 days running until she was able to get on a boat to Yemen She journeyed through many countries staying in refugee camps along her way to the US She left behind her 2 children who she has not seen in 14 years Abrehet is now living in Bridgeport and hopes to make an income from her participation in OWC

OWC Artist – Sauda

Sauda is originally from Burundi Sauda lost her mother and siblings due to violence She escaped from Burundi with her three children and fled to a refugee camp in Tanzania She spent 15 years there before arriving in the United States Sauda enjoys being a part of OWC because she meets new people and can help provide for her family

OWC Retired Artist – Nyankobwa

Nyankobwa is a refugee from the Democratic republic of Congo She was resettled in the United States in 2013 She and her two children escaped from the violence in the Congo and fled to neighboring Rwanda, where they lived for 17 years in a refugee camp Nyankobwa loves crafting and working with her hands, but she never had access to materials and equipment in the refugee camp Now with her participation with OWC, she is learning to produce creative, quality goods that can help her earn money for her family’s education

OWC Retired Artist – Foibe

Originally from the Congo, Foibe and her family fled a refugee camp where they lived for 5 years prior to being relocated to the United Sates
“Life in the refugee camp is so hard when you have a big family”
Foibe is glad for the opportunity to learn a new skill that will prove useful for her future, especially to help care for her 7 children

OWC Artist – Catherine

Catherine and her 5 children spent 15 years in a refugee camp in Rwanda, she is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo Prior to fleeing to Rwanda, Catherine was a seamstress in her village
In the camp, she was able to use her sewing skills to barter for goods with the other refugees Catherine and her children are now resettled in the United States She sees her participation with OWC as a good use of her skills and a path to earn an income to give her children a better life