USA for UNHCR Selects Former Rohingya Refugee Lucky Karim as World Refugee Day Featured Storyteller

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Jun 18, 2024, 07:30 ET

Selection Announced as Number of People Who Are Forcibly Displaced Reaches 120 Million Globally

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of World Refugee Day, June 20, USA for UNHCR today announced 20-year-old Lucky Karim, a former Rohingya refugee, as the organization's featured storyteller.

Lucky's narrative of her journey – a path that led her from a refugee camp in Bangladesh to the halls of Congress to advocate for the Rohingya – was selected from a group of powerful submissions to the Storyteller Celebration contest.

USA for UNHCR featured storyteller Lucky Karim brings her advocacy for Rohingya refugees to Washington, DC, in 2024. Photo: USA for UNHCR/Nicholas Feeney

"Lucky Karim's advocacy for Rohingya refugees is brave and transformative," said Suzanne Ehlers, Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR. "I've been to the refugee camps in Bangladesh and have heard firsthand from the people there the desire for education and a dignified future. Lucky is a generational voice for the Rohingya people, and she carries an immense responsibility at a young age with grace and determination."

Lucky's family was forced to flee violent military crackdowns in their village in 2017. They joined nearly a million refugees that have sought safety in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Lucky quickly learned Bangla and English with the help of tutors and by watching videos on YouTube, and found herself advocating for her community's needs as a teenager at tables with NGOs and the United Nations. After living in a refugee camp for five years, Lucky was resettled to the U.S. in 2022 — and she continues to embrace her role as an advocate for refugee rights.

"I believe refugees around the world should hear my story to be inspired, to be encouraged, and to know that stateless and refugee girls can still do anything," says Lucky. "The Rohingya are capable enough if they're given a chance. If they're allowed to go to school, they can do anything. We have people that can be doctors, that can be teachers or engineers. Give them a chance and then see who they can be."

Lucky hopes her forthcoming memoir, Born Lucky, inspires interest and action for Rohingya refugees among a young adult audience. "When I say 'born lucky,' of course I wasn't lucky when I was born, but I made myself lucky."

Minnesotan Kyle Kvamme is also featured as part of this year's contest as a refugee ally. In Minneapolis, Kyle works for the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM) – its mission is to protect and empower LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees globally. At ORAM, Kyle plays a vital role in uplifting the stories of refugees. "I have the privilege of speaking to some of the bravest and kindest people, who happen to identify as LGBTQ refugees," Kyle shares. "At the end of the day, we have so much more in common than what divides us."

To screen short films featuring Lucky and Kyle, and learn more about these individual stories, visit unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/world-refugee-day/.

About USA for UNHCR

USA for UNHCR protects and supports refugees by mobilizing resources, elevating awareness and driving action through a network of engaged supporters. Supporting UNHCR – the UN Refugee Agency – and its partners, we provide lifesaving essentials including shelter, water, food, safety and protection. Around the world, we help refugees survive, recover and build a better future. Established by concerned American citizens, USA for UNHCR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.UNrefugees.org.

First celebrated on June 20, 2001, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, World Refugee Day is a key moment in time to communicate with the world about who refugees are and why they require protection.

SOURCE USA for UNHCR