Photo gallery by Kya Roumimper
MANCHESTER, NH – Jupiter Hall, in partnership with Merrimack College graduating senior Kya Roumimper, presents The Story of Us, a one-night event of interactive conversations about refugee resettlement, community, and inclusion on Friday, April 13, 2018 from 7 – 9 p.m.
Interact with local refugee storytellers, learn their compelling stories and experiences, and share your thoughts and experiences through Q&A, live music and interactive exhibits. The Story of Us is free to the public and will take place at Jupiter Hall, located at 89 Hanover Street in downtown Manchester. Refreshments will be served.
The Story of Us engages the power of storytelling to explore the lives of 10 refugees from local communities. Five will share their stories live, recounting their journeys to the United States and sharing their experiences as refugees in our community. This free event not only offers live storytelling sessions, but also live music, a mixed media exhibit and opportunities for community dialogue. It is the final thesis event of Kya Roumimper’s M.Ed program at Merrimack College.
“The Story of Us, at a fundamental level, is about education and celebration,” says Roumimper. “It’s an opportunity to learn about the experiences of refugees in the United States through discussion and reflection. However, it’s also about celebration. We are celebrating the experiences of people through the art of storytelling. No person’s story is alike, yet all of our stories are connected. It’s our job to seek out opportunities to learn about one another because our experiences are parts of a larger human narrative.”
Local refugees joining Roumimper at the event to share their stories include: Hassan Essa, birthplace Kuwait; Kile Adumene, birthplace Nigeria; Gulyetar Makhatdinova, birthplace USSR; Mohammad Mustak, birthplace Burma, Mynmar; and Namory Keita, birthplace Sangbarala, Guinea. Keita is part of the Akwaaba Ensemble and will perform live music throughout the evening.
“If we want to have a city, state, and country that is unified, we need to have a place where all of the people with beautiful different backgrounds have a legitimate platform to be heard,” says Hassan Essa. “Manchester is and has always been a city of immigrants. The only difference today is the variance in where those immigrants come from. Appreciating the difference in backgrounds that our city has will bring us that much closer together.”
“It is a horrible and vulnerable life,” states Mohammad Mustak. “ Being a refugee means that you are not certain about your next day, even about the next hour of your life. That is what I have experienced.”
For more information please contact Kya Roumimper at roumimperk@merrimack.edu.
About Jupiter Hall
Jupiter Hall is a community-oriented Multi-purpose venue located in Manchester, NH where communities experience arts, culture and innovation. Our mission is to showcase and present exciting opportunities for storytellers, creatives and professionals working with Digital Media and other innovative formats to share their stories, culture and vision.
