Gabrielle Amorelli, a student at Providence College (PC), worked with Women's Refugee Care as a case management intern for over a year.

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During her time here, she assisted in coordinating the services we provide for our refugee families, helped with our valuable Women's Empowerment Program, and lent a hand in our fundraising efforts. She graduated this year with a degree in Public and Community Service and wrote her thesis about the experiences she had as our intern.

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Gabrielle said the following about her work with us: "I worked closely with Women’s Refugee Care during my time at PC, an amazing grassroots organization in Providence started by two former Congolese refugees. It aids Congolese refugee families in Rhode Island and provides an authentic approach to meeting the needs of Congolese women. WRC is a call to action to acknowledge how someone’s past is inherently part of how they envision themselves, especially those who have experienced violence. I analyze denotations behind certain words and their relationship to female refugees including journey, truth, trust, healing, community, resilience, and love. All of the women in my piece graciously shared glimpses into their lives, and I will always be thankful for their courage. I hope these stories transcend my work, and inspire more people to become allies and advocate for refugees in the future."

 

Here is an excerpt from her thesis: "'If you hide the meat from the fire, how can you cook it?' (11/06/2019) Furaha explains, who is in her early 40s, but lived 22 years in a refugee camp in Tanzania with her husband and three children, eventually deciding to have another child in the US. Furaha nobly wears her past on her body, pulling her shirt up to show me the deep divot on her forearm. She has never fully healed from the early morning when she witnessed the military brutally kill her father. She experienced similar violence herself, as the men whipped her, stabbed her, but she managed to survive the inconceivable acts. If you neglect the very notion of a woman, how can she live? She will find a way...

 

...the trauma that has ensued upon each woman will never be tolerated and no longer be silent. Rather, they will work together in a loving and peaceful community to unpack the truths in order to gain a greater clarity for trust. Their resilience is unfathomable, and I believe each woman is capable of growing and becoming stronger each and every day, and will serve as an inspiration for those who listen."

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If you would like to read Gabrielle's thesis in full, here is the link.

 

We thank Gabrielle for her incredible work and time as our intern, and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.