We follow the LahPai family through the first 90 days of their resettlement in Richmond, Virginia. Though their arrival was highly anticipated and their IRC staff member worked tirelessly to provide them with a strong foundation, the LahPai family arrived just in time for Thanksgiving...only for their heat to break. We pair their story with reflections on our host’s own experience and discover how these moments can shape refugees’ understandings of America. We also establish the need for creative problem-solving around other themes that the series will unpack: health, education, jobs, and culture.

1. Arrival

In this six-part podcast series, we showcase stories of refugees as they adjust to their new lives in Virginia. These personal stories are woven together with useful teaching moments about the resettlement process. Season one will consist of six thematic episodes, which aim to bring the listener into the daily lives of refugees through field interviews (at home, work and school), personally-recorded audio diaries and reflective studio interviews.Hosted by Ahmed Badr, a writer, social entrepreneur, poet, and former Iraqi refugee working at the intersection of creativity, displacement, and youth empowerment. On July 25th, 2006, Ahmed's home in Baghdad was bombed by militia troops. He and his family relocated to Syria as refugees before receiving approval to move to the United States. Ahmed is the founder of Narratio, a platform for youth empowerment publishing artwork from around the globe. In the last three years, these storytelling initiatives have reached over 20 million people across the world. In September of 2018, Ahmed was selected as one of 17 UN Young Leaders by the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth.Visit vpm.org/resettled for more information and additional content.

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1. Arrival

1. Arrival

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