How Refugee Women "Light The Future"

Azhar Ahmed with Elena's Light Award and certificate of special recognition by Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Rachel Peet Photos

Friends and supporters of Elena’s Light gathered at Yale’s Schwarzman Center last Saturday for “Lighting the Future,” an awards ceremony honoring the exemplary leadership of women in Connecticut’s refugee communities. Award recipients Azhar Ahmed, Nour Al Zouabi and Hossna Samadi were presented with honors for their dedication and service in Education and Advocacy, Social and Health Equity, and Leadership and Social Service respectively.

Founded in 2018 by Fereshteh Ganjavi, Elena’s Light serves refugee women and children through a combination of advocacy and direct services. The organization provides all its programs free of charge, including in-home English as a second language (ESL) tutoring, health education and multiple "Know Your Rights" campaigns and other legal advocacy efforts.The organization’s health education is especially holistic, focused on health literacy, patient autonomy, and navigating barriers to healthcare. 

“At Elena’s Light … we are trying to make a brighter future for refugee and immigrant women. Today is a day we can show this brightness at least for these three women.” Ganvaji said.

The organization's board. Rachel Peet Photos.

The honoree’s for the inaugural gala reflect the mission of Elena’s light in how they bring their gifts to their communities, she added. Community leader Azhar Ahmed has been supporting immigrant women’s education and empowerment since her arrival in Connecticut from Sudan in the mid 2010s. Her educational efforts included work with Sanctuary Kitchen, where she taught practical and safety skills to other refugee women. Since then she has launched Kandaka, New Haven’s first Sudanese food business.

She spoke about the importance of food in her acceptance speech, sharing the inspiration for her meal distribution during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It started when I saw my dad in my dream…in my culture when you see someone who died in your dream that means you need to help some people who need food,” she said. “ My dad, when he was alive, he used to help many people in my city, in Khartoum Sudan. He welcomes them, he offered them food, a place to live, jobs, medical care, whatever they need. The dream inspired me to cook and donate food to homeless and hungry people in New Haven.”

“There are many, many examples like this showing the power of women supporting each other to make a difference in community,” she continued.

Nour Al Zouabi accepts the Social Justice and Health Equity Award. Rachel Peet Photos.

A Syrian refugee and graduate of James Hillhouse High School, Nour Al Zouabi kept that momentum going as she received the Social Justice and Health Equity Award. Years after coming to New Haven from Syria with her family, Al Zoubi is on track to receive her masters degree in public health from Yale, with a focus on epidemiology. Her research addresses the barriers to care that refugee and other underserved communities face.

She accepted her reward with what she described as an “Immense gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility.”   

Al Zouabi spoke to the importance of education for women, and acknowledged both the immensity and interconnectedness of her vision of the future. “Our fight extends beyond New Haven, extends beyond Connecticut, or even the United States,” she said. “It's a global chorus resonating with the cries and dreams of women across the world.”

Hossna Samadi was the final awardee of the night receiving the Leadership and Social Service Award. While she was not able to attend the event in person, IRIS Director of Community Engagement Tabitha Sookdeo spoke to Samadi’s many accomplishments.

Rachel Peet Photos.

Samadi resettled in New Haven in 2016 and since has worked to amplifying the voices of refugee and immigrants promoting intercultural understanding through her work as an outreach coordinator at IRIS, as a public speaker, and with the Co-founding of CRIW, or the Collective for Refugees and Immigrant Women’s Wellbeing.

CRIW “provides high quality, equity-led, culturally-informed and responsive programs to promote the wellbeing of refugee and immigrant women in New Haven,” according to the organization’s website.

“Hossna’s success in training refugee women and supporting the growth of some of Connecticut’s most important non profit organizations are just part of why Elena’s Light recognizes her for this years Leadership and Social Service Award,” Sookdeo added.

There was a theme of gratitude and mutual empowerment as each honoree took time in their speech to emphasize the importance of the support they received from family and friends without which they would not be doing what they are now. 

In an evening of celebration there were also consistent acknowledgement to those suffering in war zones around the world, particularly in Gaza and Sudan. 

The action of empowering oneself and one’s community was well summarized by Ganjavi before the end of the night. In 2011, Ganjavi began that journey to founding the organization when she came to New Haven from Afghanistan.

“[This event] means a lot for me because I came as a refugee myself here, not knowing anybody, not familiar with the system,” she said. “But now having this event and honoring all the refugee women who are in the community, doing work for the community- appreciating them means I appreciate myself and the community.”