SCRANTON – Ushu Mukelo came to the United States after spending 12 years in a refugee camp in Uganda.
Explaining that armed groups often take over small villages causing widespread poverty and chaos, Mukelo was happy to celebrate World Refugee Day at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on June 24, 2024.
“For us, as refugees, it is a day to get together, it is a day to remind us of those difficulties and it is a day to remember that resilience is real and if we are to continue to be human, we’re not supposed to forget the stories of our past,” Mukelo explained.
Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton works with the federal government to assist refugees resettling in northeastern Pennsylvania. The agency works with several other non-profit agencies to sponsor World Refugee Day each year.
“The main purpose is to celebrate that we’re here to help them to be a part of the community,” Joe Mahoney, CEO of Catholic Social Services, explained. “We invite them to partake in Scranton, to share with us.”
Fikile Ryder is the Director of Community for Catholic Social Services. She oversees the immigrant and refugee resettlement program.
“The United States has a history of immigrants that are building this country,” Ryder said. “Each one of them brings a special unique talent and they bring the diversity that reaches our country.”
During World Refugee Day, refugee communities share music, food, fellowship and personal stories.
“Refugees don’t come here because it is a choice that they make. They had to leave their homeland because of violence, persecution and war,” Julie Schumacher Cohen, Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement at The University of Scranton, said. “It’s really an enriching experience and the more that we can do to welcome them and learn from one another, the richer the community we are and the richer the country we are.”
Downpours during the event forced many attendees to seek shelter together under pavilions at the park – but many say that helped facilitate people talking to one another.
“Everyone was huddled under the gazebo. There were people from all different areas and walks of life talking to each other,” Ann Montoro Williams, Stewardship Manager with Friends of the Poor, said.