Fifteen-year-old Mmbekalo (“MK”) was born in Tanzania, Africa, after his family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo to escape genocide and political war. They arrived in the U.S. four years ago as refugees, hoping for a better life and education. 

Robbin, age 14, arrived in the U.S. with his family just five years ago after fleeing civil war in Uganda. He is known by those around him to be a friendly, hardworking and outgoing leader with a big personality and a love for adventure.  

While both young men and their families fled terrible circumstances in their respective home countries and settled in San Diego full of hope, adapting to new life in the U.S. has presented its own challenges. 

Both Robbin and MK’s family, like many refugees, were simply assigned a resettlement location. For them, that location is City Heights, an impoverished area east of San Diego, with schools ill-equipped to address the specific challenges and needs of refugee children. While this has allowed each family to be in community with other refugees, it has limited their opportunities to expand their cultural knowledge, grow their vocabulary, and get the education they need to get out of poverty.