Zayi was born in Western Burundi and moved to Kavumu Refugee Camp in Eastern Burundi when she was only a few years old. Zayi lived there for 7 years with her mother, sister and brother. Her youngest brother was born at the camp.
In May 2022, Zayi was resettled to Providence with her family. She enrolled in 9th grade at Central High School, not speaking any English. Zayi worked hard and learned English with the help of her teachers, and lots of reading, studying, and watching movies. Zayi loves Korean and Chinese dramas which she watches with English subtitles.
Last year, Zayi participated in Beautiful Day’s refugee youth job training program. She worked her first job at Urban Greens, a co-op grocery store in Providence. There she stocked shelves and helped customers find what they needed. Zayi also learned how to prepare for a job interview such as, wearing nice clothes and speaking in proper English - not the English slang she often speaks with her siblings!
Today, Zayi is in 11th grade at Central and volunteering with this year’s refugee youth program at Beautiful Day. Zayi is a mentor to the new students, helping everyone get to know one another and assisting with classwork and job preparation. Zayi intends to get her driver’s license soon and dreams of going to college to become a doctor. In Zayi’s own words, “Life is short. Never give up on yourself.”
