Creating space, support, and friendship for girls who’ve been displaced

Words by Sommer Brugal Photos Courtesy of Girl Forward

When Aadela Abdullah and Sarayu Adeni met in 2017, Sarayu came prepared with a bag full of questions. She wanted to break the ice and get to know her mentee. What were her interests? What are her dreams? They each took turns asking and answering, learning about the other and building what would become a close friendship they maintain today.

Girl Forward — an Austin and Chicago-based organization dedicated to creating a space and enhancing opportunities for girls ages 14-21 in grades 9-12 who’ve been displaced globally by conflict and persecution — is how the two came together. Learning about the organization, their bond seemed almost inevitable. 

“Girl Forward is being part of a support system, a community for young women who have come to this country for various reasons,” says Sarayu. “We’re a group of interesting women from all over the world creating a safe space for these young women to achieve their dreams.” 

Speaking no English, Aadela, now 19, began the second semester of her seventh-grade year when she arrived in Austin in 2015. Girl Forward became a space where she was able to make friends, learn new things, and feel supported. Through the relationships she built, Aadela gained confidence, learned about who she is, and, perhaps most importantly, started believing in herself and what she could achieve. 

Girl Forward expanded from Chicago to Austin in 2015 with just one pilot program, according to Executive Director Ashley Marine. By 2016, they were offering a range of options, such as mentorship, education, and safe space programs. They celebrated their 10th anniversary in August. 

Before the pandemic, the organization was serving about 250 girls annually in Austin and Chicago combined. And while closing Austin’s physical space during the pandemic may have initially been a setback, Ashley says they are reaching nearly 70 girls virtually, which actually turned out to be “significantly better and more sustainable.” The organization – and its offerings – became more accessible to a larger group of girls during this time.

Before joining Girl Forward, Aadela didn’t know many people in Austin from her home country of Afghanistan. Seeing people that look like her and meeting girls with similar stories gave her “a comforting feeling,” she says. “The day I went to camp for the first time, I was really worried. But when I [arrived], I just felt so comfortable,” she recalls. “I saw a lot of girls from countries like Syria and Iraq, and they wearing the hijab like me. All of them became my friends. I didn’t expect it be that good.” 

That’s why Aadela and Sarayu encourage others to look around their communities, their neighborhood, and talk to people who may come from different places and encourage them to follow their dreams. 

Both women have since graduated from the mentor-mentee program. Aadela is attending Austin Community College and hopes to transfer to the University of Texas before attending medical school. Sarayu continues to be involved in Girl Forward as a board member. 

Still, the two remain closely bonded by their time together and what the organization offered them: a sense of belonging.  

Contact:
@girlforwardgram
girlforward.org
austin@girlforward.org