Backgrounder
Refugee Education Council members include:
Istarlin Abdi: South Sudan, Somalia
Istarlin is a single mother of 2 girls, an advocate for human rights, a storyteller and a photographer. She has worked with FilmAid International and REFUNITE as a content creator and photographer. In 2017, Istarlin co-founded Dream Studio, a refugee-based media company focused on creating space for fellow refugees to share their own stories with the rest of the world. She has also worked with Windle International Kenya as a community worker for 5 years, working with vulnerable schoolgirls, parents and the community at large. As a refugee from Somalia who has experienced displacement for over 20 years, Istarlin has long struggled with her sense of identity, self-worth and belonging. She fears that her daughters, caught in the same circumstances of displacement, are beginning to struggle with this too. Istarlin believes that education is a great equalizer. She has joined the council to help break the generational curse of displacement by making education a global priority.
