From Homeless to Landlord

Image from Unsplash by Chris Robert

I’ve been reflecting on what it really means to be a stateless and homeless refugee. Most of the time it comes as a package deal, when you are a refugee, you are almost always homeless.

I was lucky enough as a refugee to not be homeless, until 1991, when I was looking for friends that could shelter me and organizations that could help me. It became clear that being homeless is a situation in which you have no voice, and few people will take you seriously because of the status you don’t hold.

It doesn’t mean that you don’t know, or that you don’t have or that you can’t deliver. It just means that you have been labeled.

Throughout my journey I’ve hidden most of my struggles and only shared the circumstances. It doesn’t mean that i don’t struggle today — it means that I do a good job of moving forward from wherever I may be.

Being homeless, I had the opportunity to serve on committees because I had plenty of time, and the opportunity to show up in places, and for people not to know. That provided me the opportunity to start a t-shirt business. I didn’t make millions of dollars, I made (maybe) 200–300 dollars in a month. But that little bit meant in a few months I was able to get in a place of my own, get a bike, and then I had more ways to do more work as well as get more things.

As I reflect on what’s happening in the land from which I came, it has become clear to me that it is important to ensure that people are aware of what is happening. And while voices of like mind are being hushed and shut down, it is important that we continue to bring our voice to the table.

I’m hoping that many world leaders come to their senses and use their voices for justice and peace.

When I became a landlord almost 8 years ago, it became clear to me how thankful and humbled and lucky I am to have been moved from this refugee stateless/homeless person that no one would have given the time to — to the individual that I am today, with the ability to open doors for others.

It doesn’t mean I don’t have struggles today, or that I don’t have challenges of my own, it just means that I have moved from point A to point B, but am still the same person.

BEFORE YOU GO

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.

1. What can you do to empower the communities in which you belong?

2. What can you do to un-label individuals based on their status or where they come from?

3. What can you do to ensure that people have the opportunities to improve themselves?

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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.