'We the People' exhibit in Stow shares refugee stories of success and adversity

Nilam Ghimirey spent her childhood in a refugee camp in Nepal after her family fled Bhutan to escape ethnic cleansing happening in the country.

They didn't have running water, electricity or access to health care. An education seemed like a pipe dream.

In 2009, her family emigrated to the United States and settled in Akron when she was 14 with only the clothing on their backs.

Now, she is a doctor.

Ghimirey's story and 24 others are being shared in an exhibit on display across Stow featuring portraits of refugees from around the world who now live in Northeast Ohio.

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"We the People" was created in 2019 by photographer Erin LaBelle and Kent State University's Global Understanding Research Initiative. The exhibit features 84-by-60-inch portraits and biographies sharing experiences of refugees including their challenges and success in the United States. The exhibit has been at the Kent State Esplanade and in Cuyahoga Falls. It is now on display in front of Stow City Hall and in front of Stow-Munroe Falls High School through the end of May.

Paul Haridakis, director of communications studies and co-director the Global Understanding Research Initiative at Kent State, said the exhibit is best described as emotional and engaging.

Ghimirey said she was honored to have her portrait in the exhibit as a way to advocate for refugees in the community.

"Refugees face so many challenges," Ghimirey said. "One of the hardest parts was adjusting to the culture. We didn't understand English. When I lived in a refugee camp, I didn't really understand anything outside of my refugee camp bubble."

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Like Ghimirey's family, tens of thousands fled Bhutan to Nepal and West Bengal, India, in the early 1990s. In Nepal, government policy denies refugees freedom of movement and the right to work, and only a small number of refugees have been able to acquire legal citizenship, according to the International Institute of Akron.

Ghimirey now has a growing list of accomplishments despite the challenges she has faced. Earlier this month, she graduated from medical school at Ohio University. In 2012, she was also valedictorian at North High School, graduating with a 4.013 grade-point average.

"We the People" is partly inspired by Italian photographer Luigi Toscano’s “Lest We Forget” traveling exhibition of Holocaust survivor portraits, which started at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., in 2018, according to LaBelle.

"This exhibit is a bridge for people to connect," LaBelle said. "Nilam, Eka and everyone who has their portrait up are representative of so many more people. This was a photographic project, but it's a vehicle for change."

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Eka Amani shares a similar story to Ghimirey's — both have achieved great success despite facing great adversity as refugees.

Amani is a refugee from war-torn Congo. In 2007, he fled to Uganda after being accused of being a spy. Along with his sister and cousin, he resettled in Akron in 2015.

Now, Amani is a junior at Kent State helping to advocate for refugees and immigrants as an interpreter at the International Institute of Akron. This month, he earned his U.S. citizenship.

He said he struggled with getting acquainted with American culture and adapting to Northeast Ohio weather.

The Congolese refugees resettling in Akron are part of a population of more than 3 million Congolese forced by war and unrest to flee their homes, according to the International Institute.

"To help, I forced myself to talk to people," he said. "That helped me know people in my neighborhood. That was my strategy to make myself more comfortable."

Education was challenging because he did not know English and couldn't afford school, he said.

"So many immigrants and refugees do not know the resources available to them. Or if they do, they aren't able to ask for help," he said. "I was able to go to college because I learned about scholarships. But I had to learn how to ask for that information first."

The exhibit was brought to Stow as part of a diversity initiative from Stow-Munroe Falls School's "Bulldogs Take Action" club, according to school counselor and club adviser Sally Dean.

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"Our goal is to spread awareness and build empathy so that all feel safe and respected throughout our school and community," she said. "We invite everyone to stop by both locations and learn more about these refugees and their stories. We hope that 'We the People' can inspire conversations about refugees, immigrants and our global connections."

Stow Mayor John Pribonic said it is an honor to have the exhibit in the city and celebrate the diversity in Northeast Ohio.

“By seeing their faces and reading their stories, we all become better connected to our fellow community members," he said.

Ghimirey said she is proud to be a refugee but emphasized how difficult it has been for her family in the past.

"I'm proud of the experience I gained as a refugee, but it was not fun going through it," she said. "I never in my life imagined that I will be going to college, let alone ever going to medical school and becoming a doctor."

Amani said he was proud of the shared resilience and community he has seen among other refugees.

"Being a refugee often means being in a state of hopelessness," he said. "But here, I feel safe and secure. For the past seven years, I haven't felt like locking my doors. Here, I feel joy."

Reporter Molly Walsh can be reached at mwalsh@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 25 powerful refugee stories shared in photo exhibit in Stow