Traveled more than 8850 miles. One of the 1.4 million displaced persons. Fluent in three languages, learning a fourth. 14 years old. Refugee. This is Adam’s story.
He has never known where he would end up, but Adam Abdouramane now finds himself in the halls of LHS as a freshman student. Born in the country of Cameroon, Africa, Adam’s life began across the globe from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This region of central Africa includes Chad, Sudan, Congo, the Central African Republic (CAR) and CAR’s ongoing crisis. Not only did this crisis spark Adam’s winding journey to the Midwest, but it also brought his problem-solving abilities to new standards while costing him relationships of a lifetime.
The unstable situation in CAR began with its independence from France in 1960. Since then, disastrous military rule has come in surges, along with five to six coups d’état. The state authority was weak from its establishment, leading to brutal political and religious division within CAR—like tension between Christian and Muslim militias. In March of 2013, a coalition of Muslim rebels, the Séléka forces, violently seized the capital city of Bangui in opposition to then-President François Bozizé’s regime. Bozizé was overthrown, and cruelty ensued. In response, the anti-balaka, a group of Christian fighters, launched attacks against the Séléka and Muslim civilians. This conflict continued into 2014, wiping out CAR’s infrastructure, involving the United Nations, French and African Union forces and creating humanitarian tragedy.
CAR’s civil conflict pushed violence and evacuees into the other central African countries, leaving Adam’s family caught in the middle of mass insurgency. His father, a truck driver in the region, was born in Chad and eventually moved to CAR, where his mother is from. Together, they moved west to Cameroon and started their family of three daughters and one son amidst the political chaos—Aisha, Adam, Kadidja, and Halima. However, before the Séléka and anti-balaka outbreak in 2013 and near their youngest, Halima’s, time of birth, the family moved back to CAR for employment. When CAR was overthrown, the family needed to escape.
“We moved [back] to Cameroon, [but] it wasn’t safe because they were looking for us…They wanted to kill my dad…and then they did. We moved here [the United States] because it was way safer than Cameroon and [the Central African Republic],” said Abdouramane.
The grief and emotional repercussions of losing his father spiraled around the violent atmosphere in Central Africa, escalating the family’s need for asylum. Along with his father, Adam’s aunt and uncle were killed as victims of political and religious persecution. This left Adam, his mother, three sisters and his orphaned cousin, Fatima, to fend for their safety in Cameroon while being hunted by the CAR’s coup regime.
“My mom worked with the UN…at the base [of the CAR conflict], helping the people and kids with medicine and [resources] like that,” said Abdouramane.
His mother’s connection to the UN’s aid forces undoubtedly brought about their opportunity to move to the United States. The promise of legal protection under the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, meant Adam and his family could begin their immigration journey.
“The trip was crazy. Basically, we went to the economic city [of Cameroon], which is Douala. We flew to Istanbul, Turkey. It [felt like] the biggest airport in the world. [From Istanbul], we went to Chicago, and then Sioux Falls,” said Abdouramane.
The family made it to Sioux Falls in May of 2024. But why Sioux Falls? Why come to a small city in South Dakota? The family decided to immigrate to Sioux Falls due to the existing community of Central African refugees in the area. Adam has yet to meet another Cameroonian in Sioux Falls, but knows individuals from Sudan, Chad and other countries surrounding CAR who escaped the violence.
Even though Adam successfully eluded the CAR conflict, the newness and struggles of living across the Atlantic quickly mounted and continue to come. Being born on the east side of Cameroon meant that Adam is fluent in French. His father spoke Arabic, so naturally, Adam picked it up as well. Upon moving to the U.S. in the summer before his eighth-grade year, Adam had little to no experience with the English language, posing one of his greatest challenges. Knowing he would attend Whittier Middle School the coming fall, Adam took action.
“I used YouTube and Duolingo,” said Abdouramane.
He entered the eighth grade with a summer of self-taught, app-based English and a passion to learn. At WMS, Adam received one-on-one English teaching, which was crucial to his progression in the U.S. school system. The 2024-2025 year provided Adam with the opportunity to adapt to the Sioux Falls School District before starting high school with the rest of his class. Every freshman begins on a level playing field of unfamiliarity, and Adam’s love for soccer has given him the determination to make the LHS boys’ soccer team during his sophomore year.
“I did not make the team this year, but I will make it next year,” said Abdouramane.
This statement of diligence and perseverance perfectly encompasses Adam’s spirit- a world away from his roots but planting new ones wherever he goes.
