Helping Refugees Find a New Life

One refugee, Helen Gebregziabher, lives with her.

"If you're going to sponsor a family, it means you're willing to guide them, provide transportation, help set up their apartments," says Duhamel.

Duhamel attends Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Harrisonburg, which is where she learned about the opportunity to help. Several people from the church are involved helping the refugees.

"We were assuming we were going to get an Iraqi family, perhaps an Afghan family. And instead we found out on June 18 that our family was coming from Eritrea," says Duhamel.

Eritrea sits north of Ethiopia. The two countries have fought off and on for decades. Even when the countries aren't fighting, there's still tension.

Selam Gebregziabher has lived in both places. She's on a journey with her sister, Helen.

"They had to flee their own country and find refuge within Ethiopia, which was the enemy because their country has had such a dictatorial government that forces people into national service. So, it's like forced military training even for young girls," says Duhamel.

Selam says, "[Eritrea] was not safe, especially for women, children. They were abused there physically, psychologically. In general, Eritrea is not [a] safe place."

Nor was Ethiopia. The women spent about five years living in a camp there and Helen contracted malaria several times.

"It's not easy to live [a] long period of time in the camp. There is no life there. You cannot learn. You cannot work," says Selam.

Starting this summer, refugees from Eritrea were resettled in the Valley. According to the Refugee Resettlement Office, 46 Eritreans have come to the Valley. Of that group, some have left.

Helen and Selam are among the few that speak any English.

"And when they got here, the other families had no sponsors. And it just seemed very cruel and uncaring to only take care of Helen's mother and her two sisters and ignore these other mothers, who had nobody to help them," says Duhamel.

"Peggy is like my mom. She helps all refugees," says Helen.

Helen and Selam have already come a long way, but they'll go farther.

"I can travel anywhere. I can learn. I can do anything," says Helen.

Their family members all came to the Valley separately. Their mother is waiting in Seattle.

Finding work in the Valley for a lot of the refugees has been tough.

Duhamel says, "It's hard to hire someone who doesn't speak English, who has no job skills, doesn't know the computer, can't use the alphabet. These are huge challenges."

However, they're challenges Duhamel is willing to help the refugees overcome.

"If I could turn it into a job I would. I tell you, I love these people," says Duhamel.

Once they've settled, Helen hopes to study medicine. Selam hopes to resume studying math at an American university