Over half of the refugees resettled by the IRC in San Diego in 2016 were youth under 18.

In their children, refugee families see hope.

Syrian refugee children in their San Diego apartment
Ahmed, Ruha, Rahaf and Bader and their two older siblings (not pictured) arrived in San Diego with their parents in November 2016.
Photo: Laurel Dalsted

Jalal and Taghreed, who preferred not to be photographed for this story, fled Syria with their children nearly five years ago.  After four and a half years in Jordan, they were approved for resettlement in San Diego. Now that the family is safe, their focus is on making sure their children have the best future possible.

Jalal, who worked as a clothing buyer in Homs, Syria says he looks forward to learning English so he can find work. When asked what type of job he hopes to find, he says "any kind, to support my family. We came for them, we want them to have a bright future. The kids are our hope for the future and we want them to have good degrees and to be able to depend on themselves."

In the two months since they arrived, the family's IRC case worker has been helping them navigate the many steps necessary to start over in the US, including enrolling the four oldest children in school.  In the near future Jalal plans to enroll in Vocational ESL and other work readiness programs, and to work toward getting his driver's license.

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Adjusting to life in a new country brings many challenges, but also moments of joy and many new opportunities ahead.
Photo: Laurel Dalsted

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