Mosaics – Details, episodes & analysis

Join us for a conversation with local podcast City Cast Boise about Boise's rich history of resettlement and the current executive order that abruptly suspended the program. Where are things now? Moses Mukengezi was resettled with his family in 2007, and he’s talking about his story alongside Holly Beech from the Idaho Office for Refugees. City Cast Boise host Lindsay Van Allen is finding out the pause means on the local level — both for the families caught in limbo and the agencies scrambling to support them. Plus, what would a permanent pause in resettlement mean for Boise’s identity?   Here’s more information on the lawsuit that was filed in federal court in Seattle seeking to reverse the Trump administration’s refugee resettlement order.

Razma and Hasina are sisters who resettled in Idaho with their family in 2022. Razma is continuing her education at Boise State, where she is majoring in computer science, and Hasina is a senior in high school. They are pursuing dreams of education and future careers that would not be possible for them under new rules in Afghanistan banning girls and women from school and work opportunities and even leaving the house without a male escort.

 

The sisters are sharing their stories because they care deeply about advocating for Afghan women and girls. Their voices offer hope and encouragement to others facing hardships. Their journey hasn’t been easy, but they have learned to stay determined and work toward making a difference for themselves and for others.

 

National Update: Also in this episode is an update on the recent changes to refugee admissions to the United States. A presidential executive order issued on Jan. 20 suspends the arrival of refugees into the U.S. for at least 90 days, at which point it will again be under review by the president. The pause creates painful delays for refugees who have been approved for resettlement or who were about to reunite with their families after years of separation. The order does not impact the status of those who have already arrived, and the Idaho Office for Refugees and local resettlement agencies in Idaho are continuing our work to support them. Please share Mosaics and your support for resettlement with your networks to show that Americans care about our heritage of being a nation of hope, welcome, and freedom.

Today we share in a powerful conversation with Rita Thara, who owns Thara Fashions with her mother, Veronique. They import fabrics from Africa to design and create modern clothing, handbags and accessories with a traditional African twist.   Veronique learned to sew from her own mother at the age of 7 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She studied sewing and worked as a model in Switzerland before going on to start her own Business, JOLIE MODE, designing clothes for women and children back home in Africa.   Rita began following in her mother’s footsteps at the age of 6, dressing up, designing outfits, and dreaming of a career in fashion. But when JOLIE MODE was destroyed by the war, Rita and Veronique had to put their dreams on hold.   The two designers were given a second chance when they moved to Boise in 2012 and opened a successful retail shop in the Boise International Market. When it burned down in 2015, the two women were more determined than ever.   Veronique learned to sew handbags at Artisans for Hope, a nonprofit that helps new refugees gain skills to help them be self-sufficient and integrate in Boise. Likewise, Rita developed her talents sewing beautiful bags at Asana, where she works.   Now Thara Fashions is a thriving online and pop-up shop, creating unique designs and made-to-order clothing and accessories for women and children. Visit www.thara-fashions.com/.

Friends call Yi Feng the "Mental Health Guy" for doing many things relating to mental health for the ‎past 12 years. He is a Registered Social Worker, Certified Master Solution Focused Practitioner, ‎Certified Narrative Therapist, and Organization Development enthusiast, seeking to build mentally healthier workplaces and more socially impactful ‎organizations. ‎ Yi Feng hails from Singapore and visited Idaho in May 2024 as a fellow with the Young Southeast ‎Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).‎ While in Boise he worked with Mike Krause, Chief Coaching Officer of Global Bound LLC, to 'make good trouble' ‎and improve workplace mental health. Yi Feng shares interesting insights about Singapore, his first impressions of Idaho, and his approach to belonging and well-being.

Today we hear from Joel Ntando, coordinator of the Refugee Speakers Bureau at ‎the Idaho Office for Refugees. Joel has a background in theater and academia. He ‎lived and worked in South Africa for 14 years before resettling in Idaho and is ‎originally from the Democratic of Republic of Congo. He shares what World ‎Refugee Day means to him personally and what it means for everyone on a global ‎level.

Aanish Shamim is a first-generation immigrant from Pakistan who has called Idaho home since he was 3.

Aanish has a degree in international political economy from The College of Idaho and is the City of Boise’s Community Engagement Coordinator. He previously worked closely with students at the College of Western Idaho and helped empower marginalized communities through his role at Jannus Economic Opportunity.

In our conversation, Aanish shares about navigating life as a ‘Third Culture Kid,’ and how his Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca helped shape his perspective on religion and identity.

Aanish highlights the importance of amplifying individual voices and celebrating the richness of cultural diversity within society. Outside of his professional pursuits, he enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends, playing cricket, laughing with his family, and doting on his cherished cat, Taara, meaning ‘Star’ in his primary language of Urdu.

Klaudia Saric is a Business Development Specialist at Jannus Economic Opportunity in Boise, Idaho. She works with aspiring entrepreneurs from many backgrounds, including former refugees like herself. Klaudia and her husband are from Bosnia & Herzegovina, which they fled in the 1990s due to war and ethnic cleansing. Klaudia saw firsthand the damage that is done when people are manipulated into seeing each other as less than human based on religion or nationality. Throughout her career, Klaudia has helped many people become successful business owners. As a former business owner and holder of a bachelor's in business administration, she values the entrepreneurial spirit. Becoming a refugee is like having your wings clipped, she said, and that drives her to help others regain their sense of choice and empowerment.

 

Reach MOSAICS with questions and story suggestions: mosaics@idahorefugees.org

Mosaics is recorded and produced by SB Studios

Welcome Corps Allows Private Americans to Help Resettle Refugees

Joe & Kim Mitchell are part of a private sponsor group in Idaho Falls that welcomed refugees to the city for the first time in decades.

In April 2022, through the Operation Allies Welcome program, their Sponsor Circle welcomed three Afghan Air Force pilots, allies of the U.S. military operation.

The community response was so overwhelmingly positive that the group formed a nonprofit, Idaho Falls Bridge Builders, which in 2023 welcomed another refugee family, from Ukraine.

Joe & Kim were inspired to be involved in a private sponsor group because they know what it’s like to be newcomers in a foreign country. Their family spent a total of seven years living in rural China, and the way they were welcomed into the community with open arms inspired them to provide a similar welcome to others in their home state of Idaho.

Connect with Idaho Falls Bridge Builders: https://sites.google.com/view/idaho-falls-bridge-builders/home

Learn more about Welcome Corps: https://welcomecorps.org/

Reach MOSAICS with questions and story suggestions: mosaics@idahorefugees.org

Mosaics is recorded and produced by SB Studios

Eliza Shabire was a young girl when she and her sisters were separated from their father when he had to flee the Democratic Republic of Congo for his safety. She lived with relatives in Rwanda for many years before reuniting with her father in her early 20s in Idaho.   Eliza is now a mother to 1-year-old Mina. They are waiting for her husband's case to process so he can join his family in Idaho.   Eliza is studying social work at Boise State University with dreams to be a clinical social worker and help immigrants and refugees in mental health and social justice.     Mosaics is produced by SB Studios, fundung from M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, and special thanks for the theme music to The Afro Sonics.

Sakhi Hasmati was born in Afghanistan and lived in Pakistan, India, and United Arab Emirates before moving to Idaho to reunite with his parents and siblings about seven years ago.

“My parents, one of the reasons they were moving around, is because they had concerns about their children’s safety,” he said.Now, Sakhi helps other people who are earlier on in their resettlement journey, as the Idaho Community Advisor Network Supervisor at the International Rescue Committee in Boise.

When Sakhi first moved to Idaho, his goal was to move on quickly to a place with more earning potential. But he found a closeness within his family and community that’s made Idaho feel like home. Sakhi’s wife is awaiting approval to resettle here, too.

“I deeply appreciate the culture and kindness prevalent in this state,” Sakhi said. “In my free time, I cherish moments with family and friends, often enjoying a game of soccer.”

Sakhi loves learning about the laws and history of any country where he lives. (Sidenote from the episode: there are 27 amendments in the U.S. Constitution!)

Sakhi’s goal is to advocate, support, and deliver services to asylees, refugees, and immigrants. Recognizing the importance of families seeking and achieving long-term happiness and self-sufficiency, he’s passionate about bringing consistency to these families and aiding them in attaining a fulfilling, normal life.