Julie's Story

Meet Julie Momoh, one of our clients from Liberia. Julie arrived in the United States after living in a refugee camp in Cote D’Ivoire for over 15 years. Our Communications Specialist, Emily Locke, was first introduced to Julie at our Press Conference in September, where she urged the administration to increase the refugee admissions ceiling. Her passion and ardor captivated the audience, making for an incredibly compelling case in support of refugee resettlement. A few weeks later, when the Presidential Determination was announced, Emily wanted to follow up with Julie to hear what she had to say.

When Julie first sat down with Emily, she expressed her disappointment with the reduced number of refugees permitted into the United States: “People need help. We need to save them.” As Julie began sharing her story, she emphasized the need to provide refugees a safe home: “They need to escape the conditions of the camps. No one should live like this.” Julie expanded further, explaining that guards engaged in discriminatory practices, including torture and gender-based violence. This type of abuse wasn’t limited to the camps. Throughout her life in Liberia and Cote D’Ivoire, Julie witnessed an array of atrocities she believes no-one deserves to experience. For example, she married twice, but witnessed the murder of both her husbands. As her family fled Liberia, she believed her children were killed. “I understand what is happening; others don’t. That’s why I am sharing my story.” While Julie attempts to shed light on abuse in refugee camps, she is also applying to nursing school: “America helped me, now it’s my turn to help America.”

Here at US Together, we are grateful for heroic clients like Julie. Despite her difficult past, she only looks forward, taking it one day at a time. She is always focused on helping others, and is a huge asset to our community. You can hear more from Julie at our Refugee Integration Conference 2019, where she will be speaking on our Refugee Panel.