Articles by Staff

February 4th, 2018 OPEN Atlanta and Sagal Radio partnered up to provide mentorship services to college and masters students from the Clarkston community. The session started with a story from Armir Harris, an Albanian refugee whose family immigrated from Albania to Atlanta as political refugees seeking asylum. He told his journey which detailed his path from a homeless shelter all the way to growing a $12 million logistics business. 

Leila Ibrahim a student at Clarksotn High School interviewing Dr. Harjee Co-founder of Community Health Center. Dr. Harjee Discussed about her childhood and amazing story of how she became a Medical Dr. 

Interview with Stacey Abrams, a candidate for governor of Georgia. She formerly served in Georgia's general assembly and was its House minority leader

Local non-profit Refuge Coffee and owner Kitti Murray just made a big commitment to Clarkston—they bought the property at the corner of Market St. and Ponce de Leon, known for the past two years by the iconic bright red Refuge Coffee truck. From renting part of the property and open just two days a week, to now owning the plot of land and operating a catering truck as well as the six-day-a-week coffee truck, Murray talks to Sagal about Refuge Coffee's growing mission to provide not only coffee, tea and snacks, but also job opportunities and training.  Murray also wants the community to remember that their name is Ref-uge (providing shelter), not refu-gee (someone forced to leave their home).

Michelle Bernier-Toth, who runs overseas services for American citizens abroad, recently spoke to Atlanta's Somali American Community Center about young Somali-native U.S. citizens being held against their will and abused in Kenyan and Somaliland camps disguised as reform schools. So far, around 20 young Americans have been rescued from such camps and returned to their families. The State Department wants local Somalis to encourage families to conduct thorough research before sending young people away. There are U.S. resources available to victims and their families. 

Espoir Eso, a student at Clarkston Youth Development Initiative, and Naima Abdullahi, from Ethiopia, discuss what it’s like to immigrate to the U.S. and become a new American. 

Amondi Mani, a student at Clarkston Youth Development Initiative, and Awet Eyasu, a City Council Member of Clarkston discuss what it’s like to immigrate to the U.S. and become a new American.

 Genet Woldtsadik from Clarkston Community Youth Development Initiative interviews Sumaya Karimi , Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities , Organizing Director, Real Communities Initiative about the hardest parts of coming to America: the unknown. Unknown language, unknown people and unknown culture—but we will hear how they both overcame their struggles by making connections through empowerment and education.

Shaadia Saeed, a student from Clarkston Youth Development Initiative interviews Omar Shekhey  executive director for the Somali American Community Center in Clarkston, discussing what it’s like to immigrate to the U.S. and become a New American.