Zamanei is originally from Ethiopia and came to the U.S. with her family through the refugee resettlement program. She has been a member of our GirlForward community for 8 years, participated in every GirlForward program, and watched her younger sister go through the programs alongside and after her. Few people better exemplify what GirlForward is all about and can speak to the heart of our vision.

“In the last couple of years I have seen Zamanei grow more confidence in her voice and her drive. She has spoken more in bigger spaces, has asked more questions, and has come into her own in all aspects of her life. She is such a beautiful soul and has nothing but goodness that radiates from her.” - Samera Hadi, Director of Programs

How did you first join GirlForward?

We came to the United States in 2012 and then I started school. In the summer of 2013 I wanted to find a program to improve my English. One lady from our agency, RefugeeOne, told me that there is a program called GirlForward that you can join... they will help you to improve your English and there are other girls like you. I went to the old office on Devon and I had to fill out a form for the summer program. At that time, I didn’t know how to use the bus and how to get there. Fortunately there were other girls who went to my school and lived in the same apartment building so we traveled to GirlForward together. They were refugees too.

The office was not very large but we had teachers over the summer. My first time when I was at GirlForward I was so shy, I didn’t know many of the girls. It was very hard for me to communicate with the other girls at first. I remember Ashley came to GirlForward that summer too. One day the other girls were doing different activities but I was just sitting down watching them. Ashley came to me and asked me my name, and asked me if I wanted to braid her hair. I don’t know how she knew that I liked to braid hair! Maybe she saw me sometimes do the other girls’ hair. I was just playing with her hair and after that I tried to communicate more. I didn’t feel confident enough to communicate and to be involved. But after that, when we went on field trips on Fridays I would try to play with the other girls and make connections with them.

How have you seen GirlForward grow?

After that summer, I stayed involved with GirlForward until now! At first there were not many girls, it was very small. When I came to GirlForward the first time, there was only Blair. From what I remember, at that time in 2013 GirlForward didn’t have much for tutoring or other programs. It was new. It didn’t have a lot of people. Now it is big! After a while they moved to another location and it got bigger. It kept growing, more girls joined, and more staff joined. Seeing it before, I never dreamed it could grow this much! It is so nice to see.

I remember the first office, and then when GirlForward moved down Devon, not very far from Loyola. And now we are on Clark and it is much bigger. 

What was it like to be resettled to the U.S. and starting high school?

When I came to the United States, I wasn’t really expecting to graduate from high school or to even graduate from college. But especially with GirlForward, I was able to get more support and when I was in high school they gave me mentors. The mentors support me to achieve my goals. We were not really just doing homework or support with school. They support you with your life. Like how to think about your future, how to communicate with people. 

For example, after two years living in the U.S. I still didn’t know how to take the train! I only knew the bus to GirlForward and to my school. But my mentor decided to teach me to take the train. At first we went together downtown. She showed me everything and came with me back home. For two or three days, she came with me to show me the train. I really enjoyed it. I used to get scared to take the train. One day when I felt more confident, she asked me to meet her at Belmont, showed me the map, and I said okay, I will meet you. She said, “are you sure?” And I said, “I got it.” After that, I took the redline to Belmont and she was waiting for me at the train stop! I was like oh my god! She was so happy I did it. Later on, she showed me other places and we started meeting different places in the city. 

Another example is that my mentor would help me to become more confident making phone calls. She said, “I will help you and tell you what to say, but you have to say it!” This is what I like! Somebody to support you to get to the level where you are going. GirlForward mentors are like a member of the family. They are like our heroes. When you feel down, they say, “don’t feel down”, and they help you get up. I had two mentors but both of them helped me in that way. I love them. 

How do you believe GirlForward supports girls to chart their own path? 

I feel like GirlForward supports girls to feel loved and to challenge themselves. GirlForward is the one thing where girls are supported to be equal. We all come from different cultures, have different identities. Everyone, they find their different futures. They don’t teach you the experience that you need for the outside world after high school or college. At GirlForward, outside of mentors and tutoring, they would bring in people and teach us about internships, how to write emails, how to communicate with teachers, and workshops to help our resume when we apply for jobs. And from those things, we can build a good future. That’s why GirlForward is important - we get extra support. With GirlForward, you have somebody behind you, somebody supporting you. I always thank God that GirlForward is with me. 

What would be your advice to someone who like you were once, is new to the U.S. and trying to find their way?

I would tell them to join a program like GirlForward, but if you don’t know the transportation system, make sure you have their contact info, and that someone helps you to get there!

Sometimes, when you meet new people, it can be scary. Try learning about their culture. At GirlForward, they are not judging you. At school, it is normal to be shy - you don’t know the other students and they don’t know your culture. You might be afraid to say a wrong word and have people laughing at you. But at GirlForward they don’t laugh at you, they will help you. At GirlForward we come from different cultures but we understand each other. You shouldn’t be afraid to share your ideas. 

What do you see for yourself in the future?

When I started college, I was majoring in nursing. I always wanted to help people. Maybe because I have had different issues in my life and witnessed different things. I like to help other people, like students like me, refugees, or immigrants. For example when I was living in Sudan, I saw a lot of people who needed support. For me, now I have changed my interest from nursing to psychology. Because I want to help students who have stress or are struggling. So in the future, I want to help people.

What do you wish for GirlForward in the future?

I would like for GirlForward in 10 years to get more support and be even bigger than how you are now. And I think that girls who have finished their education and have their own job should come back to GirlForward to share their experience with students who are in high school or college. To make them strong and encourage them not to give up. Like I said, sometimes people in high school don’t get the support they need. Like for me, when I see other people’s experiences and stories, it makes me feel more powerful and helps me to not give up. 

I hope that GirlForward will be growing, girls who are new, girls from new cultures and countries. 

Everyone is different and has different ideas for their life. I remember I used to have a friend in high school who also went to GirlForward. We used to talk about our futures, like “in 10 years where are we going to be?” And I would say maybe in 10 years I will have finished high school and college, maybe buy a house and help my family. And my friend would say that she would have graduated from high school and be married with kids. I asked her why not continue her education after high school, why not just try?  And so we would have deep arguments about this. But ultimately it is her choice. Everyone is different. Some people may get married, have kids, and go back to school later. But the important thing is that everyone has choices so that they know what is open to them, not just our idea for them.