Sahnun gave us permission to share his story: He grew up in Somalia where his father was killed when he was just 8. He describes it as "not a place to live." Escaping was no less traumatic. On the way to a camp in Qirah, Egypt, his family got separated. Only Sahnun, one sister, and his mother arrived. Nobody knows what happened to his 6 other siblings. He remembers the camp as a place of being bullied and beaten and has knife scars to show.
Sahnun is now 26. He arrived in May, 2017, and lives with his mom, his sister and her two girls (7 and 8 years old). Like many of the youth we've worked with, he has reserves of strength, but is sensitive, thoughtful, aware of being different, and eager to fit in.
Sahnun heard about Beautiful Day through the Somali community. He told us he went to see his case worker every day to ask about participating. He had some work experience at a hookah restaurant in Egypt but had always worked alone. He's glad to be making friends with co-trainees at Beautiful Day while "learning the American work rules." He hopes to get his CDL and become a truck driver.
